It was almost a perform-or-perish moment for Harshit Rana after he struggled in the first two one-day internationals against Australia. Before the third ODI in Sydney, pressure on Rana was immense. The 23-year-old pacer had been battered by criticism, labelled a “favourite” of Gautam Gambhir. With him being a constant figure in most of India’s squads led to a meltdown among fans and put pressure on the Delhi lad.
His first two outings in the series were forgettable as well, with just two wickets for 86 runs, and his place was hanging by a thread. For India’s new head coach Gautam Gambhir, who had gone out on a limb defending him, the pressure was just as real too.
Gambhir’s tough love before Sydney showdown
On the eve of the Sydney ODI, Gambhir finally dropped the friendly mentor act and delivered a brutal reality check. “Perform kar, warna bahar bitha dunga (Perform or I’ll drop you),” he told Rana, a line that fueled fire in Rana’s belly. The warning worked like a spark. Rana came back roaring, delivering his best ODI spell with figures of 4 for 39 as India bowled out Australia for 236. The Delhi pacer generated sharp bounce and seam off the SCG surface, using his height to trouble even the set batters.
Rana’s childhood coach, Sharvan, told The Times of India that the pacer had called him before the match, admitting the immense pressure he was under.
Harshit Rana’s coach says….
“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. Gambhir has backed a lot of cricketers, and they have done wonders for their team.“
“In fact, he scolded Harshit badly. He told him directly, ‘perform kar, warna bahar bitha dunga.’ He sends a clear message to whoever you are,” said Sharvan.
Sharvan also lashed out at critics like Krishnamachari Srikkanth for taking digs at Rana’s selection, saying retired players shouldn’t “scrutinise any kid who just started” for YouTube clout.
Why India continue to back Rana
For all the noise around him, there’s a reason India and Gambhir remain invested in Rana. He’s tall, quick, and hits the deck hard, traits tailor-made for overseas conditions. More importantly, he can handle the bat at No. 8, something rare for Indian pacers. That balance makes him an asset in white-ball cricket. We had heard that Harshit had batting ability and for the first time, he showed it. His 24-run knock in Adelaide showed the management that they can go with him at number eight and play three frontline bowlers going forward.
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