A former India batter, Ramesh, has questioned the selection of Harshit Rana for the T20I tours of Ireland and England, arguing that it is inconsistent with how other returning players have been treated.
The injury background
Harshit tore a ligament in his right knee before the T20 World Cup 2026 and missed the tournament. He then sat out the whole of IPL 2026 to concentrate on rehabilitation. His last appearance for India was a T20 World Cup warm-up game against South Africa in February.
Ramesh’s argument
On his Instagram account, Ramesh said he did not believe the pacer had played any domestic cricket since his knee surgery, and asked how the selection could be explained. He wondered what Mohammed Shami and others might be thinking.
He said the current team management has insisted that players prove match fitness in domestic cricket before returning. He cited Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who were told to play domestic games to be considered, and Hardik Pandya, who had to show his fitness after injury. Shami, he added, was questioned over whether he could bowl long spells.
Ramesh also noted that T20I captain Shreyas Iyer had to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy before being considered for India’s ODI squad against New Zealand. The precedent, he said, is clear: a player returning from injury must prove fitness and form domestically.
The tour ahead
India start with a two-match T20I series against Ireland in Belfast on June 26, followed by five matches against England. Whether Harshit goes straight into the XI is one of the talking points.
