Harshit Rana Injury Update: KKR's Indian Fast Bowler Likely Ruled Out Of IPL 2026 After Surgery

Indian fast bowler Harshit Rana is expected to miss the upcoming IPL 2026 season with injury. Retained by KKR for ₹4 crore, Rana was the spearhead of the attack but is yet to resume bowling after undergoing surgery. Initially part of what would be India's T20 World Cup winning squad, Rana suffered an injury in the warm up game that has put him on the sidelines.

Rana played against South Africa on February 4 at the DY Patil Stadium. He suffered a knee injury and hobbled to the dressing room. India then called up Mohammed Siraj as replacement. Rana then underwent surgery and as reported by TOI, is expected to be out of the tournament.

It is a major jolt to Kolkata Knight Riders. Rana is the senior most Indian pacer in the side and was expected to spearhead the attack. Over the past year, the 24-year-old has made his way into the Indian squad across formats. Rana's ability to hold his own with the bat is also seen as a vital advantage in his favour.

Without Rana, KKR will have to rely on the other Indian pacers in the squad. The 3-time champions have the likes of Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Akash Deep and Kartik Tyagi who can fill the void. A likely replacement signing could also be mooted, with the likes of Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini among unsold.