The atmosphere surrounding young fast bowler Harshit Rana has been heated since he was selected for the ODI series against Australia.
Former selector Kris Srikkanth even stated that Rana is a “yes man,” meaning a favorite of coach Gautam Gambhir.
Gambhir responded strongly in the press conference after the West Indies Test series. He said that such comments can break a young player, and that some people say anything just for YouTube views.
Now, former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has also jumped into the debate. Ashwin has changed his previous stance and come to Rana’s defense.
He clearly stated on his YouTube channel that criticism is okay, but personal attacks are absolutely unacceptable.
‘Stop selling negativity’: Ashwin’s new stance
Reacting to Rana’s criticism, Ashwin said that no player should be targeted from below the belt.
In his statement, he said, “I have always reiterated that no player should be attacked below the belt. When the attack becomes too personal, the genre changes.”
Ashwin also mentioned his past criticism. He himself had questioned Rana’s performance in IPL 2024. But now he cited Sanjay Manjrekar, who has criticized him throughout his career.
“I would like to talk about Sanjay Manjrekar, who has criticized me throughout my career. But I have never held any grudge against him.
What they say might be right or wrong, as long as the criticism doesn’t get personal, I am fine with it.”
Ashwin says that one can discuss skills, style, or bowling style, but if it becomes personal, it has a negative impact on a player’s mind, especially on his family.
Why did Ashwin mention Rana’s parents?
Ashwin raised Rana’s case in a specific way. He imagined what would happen if Rana saw a reel in which he was being harshly criticized and was about to play a match for India.
Regarding this, he said, “Assume Harshit sees the reel in which he is being harshly criticized and is about to play a match for India; wouldn’t he be shattered by this? And if his parents and friends see it, what will their mindset be?”
Ashwin further said, “We can definitely criticize their skill, their style of cricket, and the trade that they are plying. But it shouldn’t get personal. It may be funny once or twice, but it shouldn’t be a running theme.”
He believes that negativity sells well these days. There is a demand for such content on social media, so people keep creating it. But we should ignore such content.
Ashwin also raised the point that Rana is being attacked from all sides. Regarding this, he said,
“Everyone’s targeting Harshit Rana left, right, and center. Let me ask you one thing: if the same Harshit performs well next year, will the same people put him on the same pedestal and celebrate him?”
He says cricket should be treated like cricket. Don’t buy into trash talk, because tomorrow it could be about a friend, family, or your own child.
Rana was part of the 2024 IPL-winning KKR, where Gambhir was a mentor. He has since made his debut in all three formats. But trolling has only made things worse.
Ashwin’s statement came after Gambhir defended Gambhir, who lashed out at critics like Srikkanth.
