'Too many filmy gimmicks': Team India cricketer slammed after Asia Cup 2025 flop show

Harshit Rana struggled in his return to the Indian team against Sri Lanka, conceding 54 runs and drawing criticism from former selector Srikkanth for his "filmy gimmicks." Srikkanth lauded the magical spin bowling of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy. Bowling coach Morne Morkel acknowledged the rustiness of Rana and Arshdeep Singh, attributing it to a lack of game time.

Team India (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Harshit Rana returned to the Indian cricket team in Asia Cup 2025 for the match against Sri Lanka on Friday. The game was inconsequential as Sri Lanka had already been eliminated and India had secured their place in the final. Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube were rested for this match, giving Rana an opportunity to play alongside Arshdeep Singh. Rana struggled with his bowling performance, conceding 54 runs in his four overs while taking one wicket.

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Former Indian selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth criticised Rana's performance and attitude during the match. "Harshit Rana does too many filmy gimmicks. All these filmy reactions aren't of any use, you've to actually bowl well. He does all these filmy reactions in the IPL as well. This is not a good attitude, it's just showboating... Aggression is different but showboating so much at a young age is why he got punished today," he said. Srikkanth also commented on the team's overall performance and highlighted the crucial contributions of the spin bowlers. "India won because of the four overs in the middle from Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy. They both bowled magically. Wrist spinners are always potential match winners, which got proven today. Sri Lanka today exposed the Indian bowling a little bit. Axar Patel can be taken to the cleaners if there is no turn," he added. Arshdeep Singh, who had been on the bench during the series, also appeared rusty in his bowling spell. Bowling coach Morne Morkel addressed the performance of both Rana and Singh. "In our environment, we are trying to move away from the excuse culture. The effort they put into the training, we expect them to go out and deliver. Sometimes, it is the lack of game time. You can bowl as much as you want in the nets, but nothing beats game time. As a team, we expect guys to deliver. It is not happening for them right now, but in the bigger picture, the team is winning. These guys are X factors and match winners on their given day," he added. The match served as an opportunity for the team management to assess their bench strength ahead of important tournaments. The performance of both bowlers highlighted the challenges of maintaining match readiness while being part of the reserve squad.

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