KKR pacer Harshit Rana likely out of IPL 2026 season

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fast bowler Harshit Rana is likely to miss a major part, or even the entire IPL 2026 season due to a knee injury. The young pacer is currently recovering after undergoing knee surgery in February, and there is no confirmed return timeline from the BCCI medical team.

Rana suffered the injury during India’s T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa. He had to leave the field after bowling just one over due to a ligament strain in his right knee. Following this, he was ruled out of the T20 World Cup, which India later went on to win.

In his absence, Mohammed Siraj replaced him in the squad and played only one match, which was India’s opening game against the USA.

This could be the second consecutive major tournament that Rana misses due to injury. Recently, he was also awarded the Best International Debutant at the BCCI awards.

KKR are already dealing with another setback, as Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman will not be part of their IPL 2026 squad. The BCCI had instructed the franchise to release him due to geopolitical tensions between India and Bangladesh. As a replacement, KKR signed Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani, who withdrew from the PSL to join the team.

KKR’s fast-bowling unit now includes Matheesha Pathirana, Vaibhav Arora, Akash Deep, Umran Malik, Kartik Tyagi, along with all-rounders Cameron Green and Ramandeep Singh. There were earlier concerns about Pathirana’s fitness after a calf injury, but his availability for IPL is expected.

KKR will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Mumbai Indians on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium. They will also play home matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants.

The team will now hope for quick recovery of key players as they prepare for the upcoming season.