IND vs AUS: Harshit Rana in India squad for Border-Gavaskar Trophy only because of Gautam Gambhir alleges BCCI official

The Indian squad for the much-anticipated Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against Australia has been announced, set to commence on November 22. Harshit Rana received his maiden call-up to the Test team despite being uncapped due to backing from head coach Gautam Gambhir.

On October 25, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the 18-member squad for the upcoming Australia tour. Mohammed Shami was not included in the squad despite resuming bowling in the nets. Abhimanyu Easwaran and Nitish Kumar Reddy were also included in the squad.

Harshit Rana Has Been Completely Gautam Gambhir's Choice - BCCI Source

Harshit Rana’s selection in the squad came as a surprise, as the KKR pacer has yet to make his international debut. He outperformed Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, and Khaleel Ahmed in selection. Rana, who has played only nine First-Class matches, took two four-wicket hauls in the Duleep Trophy.

Gautam Gambhir backed Rana's selection for the five-match Test series. Gambhir had worked with Harshit Rana during their time with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2024. According to a BCCI source, Gambhir has been pushing his case for the longest time since the start of the Sri Lanka tour.

“Harshit Rana has been completely Gautam Gambhir's choice. He has been pushing his case for the longest time since the start of the Sri Lanka tour. He was also kept as a reserve bowler. Since he is younger and quicker than both Navdeep Saini and Mukesh Kumar, he has pipped them to the final squad,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Team India Need Fourth Seamer To Be An All-rounder - BCCI Source

Nitish Kumar Reddy also received his first Test call-up for the upcoming tour. Reddy made his debut for Team India during the recent T20I series against Bangladesh. He is the only seam-bowling all-rounder in the squad. He has played 21 First-Class matches, scoring a century and taking two five-wicket hauls.

The BCCI source confirmed that the selectors have limited choices for a seam-bowling all-rounder. The source revealed that the management wanted a fourth seamer who could contribute with the bat.

“Hardik Pandya has stopped playing red-ball cricket and Shivam Dube's (he is injured) bowling isn't up to the mark. Nitish is a work in progress but if India are to bring in balance, they need their fourth seamer to be an all-rounder. Hence Nitish is a desperate choice going by his IPL and Bangladesh series performance,” the source said.

Border-Gavaskar Trophy To Commence On November 22

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia will start with the first Test match in Perth. The second Test match will be a Day/Night match at the Adelaide Oval starting on December 6.

Australia will host the third Test match in Brisbane on December 14. The five-match Test series will conclude with the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the New Year's Test in Sydney respectively.

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