Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar gave a strong rebuttal to former India opener Kris Srikkanth after Harshit Ranas impressive four-wicket performance in the third ODI against Australia in Sydney silenced his critics. 
Gavaskar expressed happiness over the youngster&rsquo;s success and questioned the premature criticism surrounding his selection.
Rana&rsquo;s inclusion in the ODI squad had drawn remarks from Srikkanth, who suggested that the pacer&rsquo;s selection was influenced by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Speaking to India Today, Gavaskar said such comments before a player gets a chance to prove himself are unfair.
&ldquo;I am so happy to see Harshit Rana taking four wickets because he was under fire. That&rsquo;s hard to understand. At the end of the day, this is our team. Criticize after the performance, not before &mdash; because early criticism only demoralizes the player,&rdquo; Gavaskar remarked.
He further added that selection debates can be valid after the series concludes, as one can then assess performances with hindsight.
&ldquo;Once the team is picked, we must back every player 100%. It&rsquo;s India&rsquo;s team, and we should all want it to win,&rdquo; he said.
Srikkanth, meanwhile, had questioned Rana&rsquo;s selection before the series began, saying the bowler was chosen for being a &ldquo;yes-man&rdquo; to Gambhir.
&ldquo;There is only one permanent member &mdash; Harshit Rana. Nobody knows why he is in the team. Constant chopping and changing hurt players&rsquo; confidence. You can be like Harshit Rana &mdash; a constant yes-man to Gambhir &mdash; to get selected,&rdquo; Srikkanth had said on his YouTube channel.
Rana&rsquo;s four-wicket haul in Sydney, however, appears to have silenced the debate, as Gavaskar&rsquo;s remarks serve as a reminder to critics to back players before questioning their worth.

Sunil Gavaskar reacts to Harshit Rana performance

Gavaskar backs Harshit Rana, slams pre-series criticism by Srikkanth

Gavaskar Slams Srikkanth Over Rana Criticism

Gavaskar backs Harshit Rana, slams pre-series criticism by Srikkanth

October 27, 2025 | 24:34 IST