Badrinath Questions Gambhir’s All-Rounder Strategy After Harshit Rana Injury

Former India and Chennai Super Kings batter Subramaniam Badrinath has questioned Gautam Gambhir’s preference for players who can contribute in multiple departments. He believes the India head coach’s focus on developing all-rounders has influenced selections even when some players have fitness concerns.

India’s initial 15-member squad for the Afghanistan T20I series included Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy, with all three requiring fitness clearance. Badrinath questioned why the team management continues to back the trio, particularly as India searches for a reliable all-rounder to eventually fill the role associated with Hardik Pandya.

Badrinath said Sundar and Nitish are established all-rounders, while Rana is being pushed towards becoming a more complete player. He argued that the desire to create multi-skilled cricketers could be contributing to players being selected despite injury concerns.

According to Badrinath, India have yet to find a proven all-rounder who can consistently deliver with both bat and ball after Hardik. His comments gained further relevance after Rana suffered a fresh rectus femoris strain during a match simulation on September 7 and was ruled out of the upcoming assignments. Yash Thakur was subsequently named as his replacement, while Jasprit Bumrah, Sundar and Nitish were cleared to play.

Gambhir’s approach has increasingly emphasised teams with several bowling options and greater batting depth. Washington has been used in flexible batting positions, while Nitish has been developed as a pace-bowling all-rounder. Shivam Dube and Axar Patel also add versatility to the squad.

India will begin their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Delhi on September 13, followed by games on September 15 and 17. Shreyas Iyer will captain the side, with Tilak Varma as vice-captain. The team will subsequently compete at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, where India are the defending champions.