Kamal Ghorui
Harshit Rana is set to miss a significant portion of the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League after undergoing knee surgery earlier this year. The young fast bowler, who represents Kolkata Knight Riders, is currently undergoing rehabilitation under the supervision of the BCCI medical team, with no confirmed timeline for his return.Rana suffered the injury during India’s T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa, where he bowled just one over before leaving the field due to discomfort in his knee. Subsequent scans revealed a ligament strain, forcing him to undergo surgery in Mumbai on February 9. The injury had already ruled him out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, where he was replaced in the squad by Mohammed Siraj.
Big setback for KKR
Rana’s absence could be a major blow for Kolkata Knight Riders, especially considering his impressive performances in recent IPL seasons. In the 2024 IPL, the right-arm pacer emerged as one of the standout bowlers for the franchise, finishing with 19 wickets in 13 matches, playing a key role in the team’s campaign. He followed that up with another consistent season, picking up 15 wickets in 13 games in the 2025 edition, establishing himself as an important member of KKR’s pace attack. With Rana sidelined, the team will have to rely more heavily on their remaining pace options. KKR’s current fast-bowling options include Blessing Muzarabani Matheesha Pathirana, Vaibhav Arora, Akash Deep, Umran Malik, Kartik Tyagi, and allrounders Cameron Green and Ramandeep Singh. There were also concerns about Pathirana’s fitness after he was ruled out of the T20 World Cup with a calf strain he picked up against Australia in the first round. It was expected at that time, a month ago, that his IPL availability was not going to be under threat.
KKR’s Opening match at Wankhede
KKR’s opening game is on March 29 against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. In the schedule announced so far, they also take on Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants, all at home and in evening games.
