India pacer Harshit Rana has come out in support of Gautam Gambhir amid the criticism that the head coach is facing. Gambhir has been facing backlash over India’s 1-3 Test series loss to Australia in the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After India failed to retain BGT for the first time in 10 years, fans and former cricketers have been vocal while slamming players and management. Harshit Rana, who had been with Gambhir during their time with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), backed his former mentor at the franchise.
“Criticising someone due to personal insecurities is not good. Gauti bhaiya is someone who thinks more for others than himself. He always backs players when they are down and put them in the limelight when things go our way. He has shown this on multiple occasions. He has a lot of knowledge on how to turn games in your favour,” wrote Harshit on while sharing an image of Gambhir on his Instagram Story.
Earlier, former KKR player Nitish Rana had also come in support of Gambhir. “Criticism should be based on facts, not personal insecurities. Gauti Bhaiyya is one of the most selfless players I’ve ever met. He shoulders responsibility in times of distress like no other. Performance doesn’t need any PR. The trophies speak for themselves,” Nitish wrote on X.
Gambhir’s tenure began with India’s tour of Sri Lanka. While India was a force to be reckoned with in the T20I format, the ODI series was a different story.
After the first ODI ended in a nerve-wracking draw, India lost the next two games, suffering its first bilateral series defeat in the format against Sri Lanka in a gap of 27 years.
The ODI series was followed by Bangladesh’s tour of India, consisting of two Tests and three T20Is. The ODI series defeat became a distant memory, with India sweeping the entire series with a flawless performance.
The road to the World Test Championship final looked secured. New Zealand arrived in India to play three Tests, which were to determine the fate of the WTC final.
When India were the clear favourite on the paper, New Zealand came in with different plans. The Kiwi upped the ante, taking India by surprise and walking away with a historic 3-0 series win.
After facing the first whitewash at home in Test format, India tried to pose a comeback in Australia by trying to defend the BGT in Australia, but they failed there as well.
(With IANS Inputs)
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