Kamal Ghorui
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fast bowler Harshit Rana was seen using crutches during the BCCI Naman Awards in Mumbai on Sunday, raising questions over his recovery as the player is set to miss the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League 2026.The pacer attended the BCCI’s award ceremony but was unable to walk onto the stage to collect his award for Best International Debut (Men’s). IPL chairman Arun Dhumal instead presented the honour to Rana after walking down the stage himself.The video of Rana walking with crutches went viral on social media, further fuelling speculation about the extent of his injury.Rana sustained a knee injury during a T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa earlier this year.The injury proved serious enough to rule him out of India’s T20 World Cup campaign, with Mohammed Siraj called up as his replacement in the squad.The 24-year-old underwent surgery in Mumbai on February 9 but will not recover in time to play for KKR in the cash-rich league.
KKR’s injury problems
Rana played a crucial role in KKR’s 2024 title-winning campaign, returning with 19 wickets, which helped him become a regular feature for India across formats. He was retained by the franchise for Rs 4 crore ahead of the 2025 season, and he picked up 15 wickets in the 13 games he played.For KKR, the situation becomes more difficult as Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman is no longer part of the squad, while Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana is still dealing with fitness concerns.The franchise has signed Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani as a replacement option, who will join the squad for the upcoming IPL season.Apart from Rana, the team’s pace attack currently includes Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Kartik Tyagi and Akash Deep. Without the young fast bowler, the unit could look far less experienced heading into IPL 2026.
