India head coach Gautam Gambhir has often faced criticism for allegedly favouring young pacer Harshit Rana. This perception began during their time together at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where they clinched the IPL 2024 title. The narrative only grew stronger once Gambhir took over the national side and Harshit soon broke into the Indian team, rapidly becoming a rare all-format option.
However, Gambhir has now clarified why the management is investing so heavily in the youngster. Harshit’s batting ability, he insisted, could be the key to India’s long-term balance, especially with the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching. Gambhir believes the 23-year-old can evolve into a genuine No. 8, a seamer who can contribute meaningfully with the bat.
“That’s one of the reasons we’re trying to develop Harshit, someone who can bat at 8 and add depth to the lineup. Come South Africa in two years, we will need three proper seamers,” Gambhir said after India’s ODI series win over South Africa.
He further praised the pace trio of Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna, describing their performances as "incredible", especially considering their limited ODI experience. With senior pacers like Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj currently out of the 50-over setup, Gambhir intends to give the younger bowlers extended runs to accelerate their development.
“They’ve all played fewer than 15 ODIs, yet performed brilliantly. If Harshit continues improving as a bowling all-rounder, he gives us the perfect balance, but there’s still a long way to go,” he added.
Harshit’s first-class numbers strengthen Gambhir’s case, an average of 31.18 in 14 matches, backed by a century and two half-centuries, showcase a player capable of evolving beyond a pure fast bowler.
