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Three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have suffered a massive blow as their young fast bowler Harshit Rana is set to miss a big part of the upcoming edition of the tournament, which is scheduled to start from March 28.
Harshit Rana, who was ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026 due to a knee injury, is still on the road to recovery after getting his surgery done last month.
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No clarity from BCCI
ESPN reported that the BCCI medical team hasn’t given any timeline for his comeback. Rana had injured his right knee during India’s T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa. He bowled just one over in that game before pulling up in pain, and later had to undergo surgery, which ruled him out of the tournament.
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He was replaced by Mohammed Siraj in the squad, who played one match during India’s title-winning campaign.
Despite the setback, Rana was recently recognised at the BCCI Naman Awards, where he won the Best International Debutant award.
How Harshit Rana's injury will impact KKR
His absence is a big concern for KKR, who are already dealing with several fitness issues in their pace attack. Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana is also recovering from a calf injury he picked up during the T20 World Cup.
On top of that, KKR will not have Mustafizur Rahman this season, as he was released following instructions from the BCCI due to political tensions between India and Bangladesh.
To fill the gap, KKR have brought in Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani, who has skipped his Pakistan Super League stint to join the team.
KKR's IPL 2026 schedule
KKR will start their training for the upcoming IPL soon, but their bowling unit looks a bit unsettled at the moment. Other pace options in the squad include Vaibhav Arora, Akash Deep, Umran Malik, Kartik Tyagi, along with all-rounders Cameron Green and Ramandeep Singh.
KKR will start their IPL 2026 campaign against the Mumbai Indians (MI) on March 29 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Kolkata-based franchise will play its home matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants.
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