Stars were aligning for Harshit Rana after some tumultuous games early on in his international career. He was fast-tracked in the Indian team under the watch of Gautam Gambhir and the main reasons were his bustling pace and an ability to hold the bat at No. 8 and No. 9. After some tough games, Rana finally found his groove and was one of the most standout players in the year 2025.
He finished the year with 27 wickets, which is more than what Arshdeep Singh (25 wickets) and Hardik Pandya (19) took. In T20Is, he always made a mark as well, especially in the powerplay overs. After getting selected for the T20 World Cup 2026, Rana would’ve felt surreal but everything has now gone down the drain for the youngster. Playing India’s only warm-up against South Africa, three days before the main tournament, Rana got a knee injury.
Rana was visibly uncomfortable throughout his only over and was seen clutching his knees before hobbling off the DY Patil Stadium. Then, the unwanted news came that Rana is ruled out of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. His dream of playing at a World Cup hit a roadblock. The BCCI was quick to release a statement while also announcing that senior pacer Mohammed Siraj has replaced Harshit Rana in the team.
Harshit Rana to miss IPL 2026?
Now, a worrying development has come in. As per Revsportz, the Delhi-born pacer will undergo surgery. It is unfortunate that Rana, who recently turned 24, will have to undergo surgery this early in his developing career. But it is all part of the game. However, due to this, there are high chances that he may not be ready for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, which starts on March 26.
It will be a massive blow for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as well, who retained him for INR 4 crore, using the uncapped player rule. Rana was supposed to spearhead the KKR pace attack that have options but Rana’s newfound experience would have come in handy. Also, the 3-time champions are already thin on pace battery, as they are yet to name a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman.
It is still unsure if Rana will miss the entire IPL 2026 or some part of it. However, it is sure that he may not be available for the initial matches of the tournament. After all, he is yet undergo a surgery and that will be followed by a testing recovery period under the BCCI’s watch.
