Key facts
- Harshit Rana — a bowler — sent to bat in powerplay
- Dinesh Karthik publicly criticised the decision on air
- India lost the match by a record 125 runs
Dinesh Karthik did not hold back. The former India wicketkeeper, commentating on the third T20I between England and India, publicly lost his composure after the team management's decision to send tailender Harshit Rana to bat during the powerplay — a move that left pundits and fans baffled.
The decision came as India were already in trouble in the chase, and promoting Rana ahead of more recognised batters only accelerated the collapse. India ultimately fell to a record 125-run defeat, their worst-ever loss in T20 international cricket, and Karthik's reaction on air captured the exasperation felt widely across Indian cricket circles.
The batting order call joins a growing list of selection and strategic decisions under head coach Gautam Gambhir that have drawn scrutiny. Critics argue that confusion in the middle order and inconsistent team selections have undermined India's performances in the series.
With the series still live and India needing to regroup quickly, the Rana episode will likely form a central point of discussion as the team management faces tough questions about their approach to T20 cricket.