Former Captain of the Indian cricket team, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who is also a member of the legendary 1983 World Cup-winning squad and a former chief selector, has launched a scathing attack on the current team management, taking aim at the inclusion of young pacer Harshit Rana for the upcoming tour of Australia.

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"Why is he even in the team?" Srikkanth bluntly questioned on his YouTube channel, his frustration aimed not just at one player but at what he sees as a dangerously inconsistent selection policy. He feels the constant shuffling of players is creating chaos and insecurity within the squad. "By making such selections constantly, they are confusing the players themselves," he commented. "Suddenly Yashasvi Jaiswal is there and then next minute he won't be there. There is only one permanent member, Harshit Rana. Nobody knows why he is there in the team. By chopping and changing all the time, they'll dent the confidence of the players."

Srikkanth's critical view took a sharper, more personal turn as he suggested that Rana's consistent selection might be due to reasons other than performance, particularly his relationship with head coach Gautam Gambhir. With an eye on the future, Srikkanth voiced some very pressing concerns about the team's direction. "You don't pick some players even if they do well and take others even if they don't. Best is to be like Harshit Rana and be a constant yes-man to Gambhir to be selected," he stated. "You should start building towards the 2027 World Cup. But I feel they've not. If you pick Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy among the probabilities, then you can wave goodbye to the trophy," Srikkanth further added.

The former opener also targeted Rana’s on-field conduct, dismissing it as hollow theatrics that distract from the real task at hand. "Harshit Rana does too many filmy gimmicks. All these filmy reactions aren't of any use, you've to actually bowl well," Srikkanth said. "This is not a good attitude, it's just showboating. He dives after the ball is already past him. Why dive after the goal has already been scored? Aggression is different, but showboating so much at a young age is why he got punished today."