East Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) The player has made a strong defense Gautam Gambhir And Harshit RanaRejected all allegations of bias in Indian team selection. Ever since Gambhir took over as India head coach in July 2024, a section of fans have alleged that Rana’s inclusion in the national team was influenced by his previous association with the KKR setup. However, the former KKR star has rejected these claims and said that Rana’s selection is entirely a result of his form and consistency. Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Season.
Former KKR star defends Gambhir amid trolling for supporting Harshit Rana
Manvinder BislaWho was a key member of Gambhir’s KKR team that won 2012 ipl titleHe emphasized that Gambhir has always been a performance-oriented leader. Speaking on the Indian Cricket Canteen YouTube channel, Bisla said that the critics accusing Gambhir of bias are mainly those who have never been supporters of KKR or Gambhir’s leadership style.
,There will be non-KKR fans opposing Harshit Rana. I say this honestlyBisla made the comment while defending both Gambhir and Rana from baseless criticism.
Terming the talk of favoritism as unfair and motivated, Bisla said that Harshit Rana earned the India cap for KKR through hard work and consistent performances. He reminded fans that Rana had one of the best IPL seasons as a young Indian fast bowler in 2024, spearheading KKR’s bowling attack and playing a key role in their title-winning campaign.
,There is no uncle-uncle relationship.” he said, dismissing suggestions of nepotism in Gambhir’s selection.
The wicketkeeper-batsman backed up his statement with statistics, highlighting how Rana has continued to impress on the international stage. In India’s home ODI series against Australia, Rana emerged as the leading wicket-taker with six wickets in three matches. He made valuable contributions lower down the order with the bat during the T20 series and showed remarkable composure under pressure. Overall, the fast bowler has taken 16 wickets in 8 ODI innings at an economy rate of 5.82, figures that underline his growing stature in the national setup.
Former KKR player asks everyone to stop rumors and appreciate talent
Bisla further stressed that Gautam Gambhir has always maintained a merit-based approach, be it as the captain of KKR or now as the head coach of Team India. He said Gambhir rewarded players who performed consistently and showed discipline, not players with personal relationships. According to Bisla, anyone who has played under Gambhir knows his commitment to professionalism and competitive ethos.
Concluding his remarks, Bisla appealed to fans and commentators to focus on Rana’s achievements instead of spreading baseless allegations. He said that India’s young fast bowler has proved himself at the domestic and international level and his selection has been done on the basis of merit. As Rana prepares for the upcoming ODI series South AfricaAfter the home Test series starting on November 14, Bisla hopes that cricket followers will recognize the bowler’s ability instead of questioning his ability.
“India beat Australia in Sydney. All the influential people on social media, cricketers, non-cricketers, everyone talked about RoKo. Did anyone talk about Harshit? If he had not set it up, what would have happened? Maybe RoKo would have still won us the match. But this match was made by someone else. If someone had made a video on Harshit, would it have got so many views?” Bisla concluded.
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