Overview
- Bisla said critics linked Harshit Rana’s selection to Gautam Gambhir’s Kolkata Knight Riders ties rather than judging his cricketing merits.
- He dismissed talk of a personal connection influencing decisions, quipping that Gambhir is not Rana’s “uncle” and calling many detractors non-KKR fans.
- Rana finished as India’s leading wicket-taker in the ODI series against Australia and also contributed a 35 off 33 in the second T20I.
- In the third ODI in Sydney, Rana took four wickets in a game later defined by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s batting, which Bisla argued overshadowed the bowler’s impact.
- Gambhir had faced heat for picking Rana over options such as Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Shami, and while criticism quieted after the tour, the selection debate has not fully subsided.