“Perform Kar, Warna…” Gautam Gambhir Threatened Harshit Rana

Sharvan revealed that Gautam Gambhir once scolded Harshit Rana and warned him to perform or risk being benched, reflecting his tough mentoring approach.

Harshit Rana’s coach, Sharvan, has revealed that contrary to popular belief, Gautam Gambhir has always been among the first to remind the young fast bowler not to take his place in the team for granted. Speaking in an interview on Saturday, Sharvan shared that Gambhir once “badly” scolded Rana and warned him that only consistent performances could keep him in the playing XI.

The revelation came just hours after Rana delivered a match-winning spell, taking four wickets in the third ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. His performance helped India secure a nine-wicket win and avoid a series whitewash. Rana finished the series, only the third of his ODI career, as the top wicket-taker with six scalps at an average of 20.83.

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‘Perform kar, warna bahar bitha dunga’

“He called me and told me that he wanted to shut the outside noise with his performance,” Sharvan told The Times of India. “I just said, believe in yourself. I know some cricketers say he is close to Gambhir. But Gambhir knows how to identify talent, and he backs them. He has backed a lot of cricketers, and they have done wonders for their team. He, in fact, scolded Harshit badly. He told him directly, ‘perform kar, warna bahar bitha dunga’ (start performing or I’ll bench you). He sends a clear message to whoever you are. Rana is 23. Let’s give him some time.”

Rana rose to prominence under Gambhir’s mentorship at Kolkata Knight Riders, finishing as the highest wicket-taker among uncapped bowlers in the franchise’s IPL 2024 title-winning season. Since Gambhir took over as coach, Rana has made his debut in all three formats and continues to be in contention for each.

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Some former cricketers had earlier accused Gambhir of favouritism toward his state-mate, a claim the coach himself dismissed earlier this month. Sharvan supported Gambhir on the matter, saying that such criticism was unfair.

“First Krishnamachari Srikkanth took the case of this kid. After retirement, cricketers have started their YouTube channels to earn, but please don’t scrutinise any kid who has just started. They have the right to guide, scold, but please don’t say anything for your YouTube channel’s visibility,” Sharvan said.