'Bahar bitha doonga': Gambhir warns Harshit Rana amid selection debate before Sydney ODI

Pacer Harshit Rana may have ended the Sydney ODI as one of the heroes of India’s nine-wicket win, but behind the scenes came a moment of blunt honesty from head coach Gautam Gambhir.

With outside criticism swirling over Rana’s place in the XI and murmurs of “favouritism” linked to his Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) connection, Gambhir reportedly laid it out plain: “Perform kar, warna bahar bitha doonga.”

According to Rana’s childhood coach Shravan Kumar, Gambhir’s message was a mix of scolding and motivation.

As per a Times of India report, Rana called Shravan before the match, admitting the weight of expectations pressing on him and his determination to shut out the critics—a goal Gambhir’s words ultimately helped him achieve.

“He called me and told me that he wanted to shut the outside noise with his performance. I just said, believe in yourself. I know some cricketers say he is close to Gambhir. But Gambhir knows how to identify talent, and he backs them. He has backed a lot of cricketers, and they have done wonders for their team,” Shravan told TOI.

“He, in fact, scolded Harshit badly. He told him directly, ‘perform kar, warna bahar bitha doonga.’ He sends a clear message to whoever you are,” he added.

Rana, 23, had managed only two wickets in the first two ODIs and was under pressure to justify his selection ahead of Arshdeep Singh. In Sydney, he delivered — grabbing 4 for 39 in 8.4 overs as India bowled out Australia for 236.

He will return to action for the five-match T20I series against Australia, which will get underway next week.