India, Nov. 12 -- India head coach Gautam Gambhir has faced a steady chorus of accusations over the last few weeks, with a section of fans insisting that fast bowler Harshit Rana's inclusion in the national set-up is primarily due to their Kolkata Knight Riders connection.

Now, one of Gambhir's former KKR teammates has stepped in sharply. Ex-KKR wicket keeper-batter, Mavinder Bisla, has come out firmly in defence of both Gambhir and Rana, calling the criticism unfair and driven largely by tribal fan loyalties rather than cricketing logic.

While speaking on the YouTube channel, Indian Cricket Canteen, Bisla directly addressed the narrative that Harshit Rana was in India's ODI and T20I squads against Australia only because of his associat...