Life could’ve been so much more yellow had just one thing gone right for Harshit Rana. He was slated to be part of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad and even featured in the only warm-up match. But that match proved too fatal for the prolific pacer, who got injured in that game and was ruled out of the T20 World Cup altogether.
Had Rana not got injured, he would’ve been a World Cup winner. While the entire nation basked in the third T20 silverware glory, Rana would’ve certainly felt bad that he wasn’t present in Ahmedabad, taking part in the win. If that wasn’t enough, now it looks like frustration is bound to continue for Rana, who is slated to miss the IPL 2026 after his knee surgery.
While the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) haven’t made it official, the timeline of Rana’s surgery suggests that he is unlikely to be fit on time. KKR have already been embroiled in controversy after releasing Mustafizur Rahman from the squad on BCCI’s commands. Now, they have signed Blessing Muzarabani as Fizz’s replacement. But what about Rana? Well, we take a look at three possible players who can be ideal replacements for Harshit Rana ahead of IPL 2026.
Catch KKR’s IPL 2026 schedule here.
Possible Harshit Rana replacements
Simarjeet Singh
It came as a major shock when no team raised their paddle for Simarjeet Singh at the IPL 2026 auction. Yes, he didn’t have an ideal IPL 2025 where he took just two wickets in four games for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). But that doesn’t mean that he is less of a bowler. The pacer from Delhi has enough experience, having played two seasons for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
His raw skills are terrific. Having also been a net bowler for the Mumbai Indians (MI), Simarjeet has learnt from the best as well. No one has taken more wickets in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) as well, with him bagging the Purple cap in 2024 with 18 in a title-winning season. He is one of those few uncapped pacers who can deliver quick yorkers as well as bouncers. KKR can do well if they take him.
Chetan Sakariya
A former KKR pacer himself, Chetan Sakariya is an interesting option. KKR don’t have any left-arm pacers in their lineup. Mustafizur Rahman was there but his case is a thing of the past now. That’s where Sakariya can be a viable option, adding flexibility to the side. A player with an experience of 20 IPL matches, the 28-year-old has form in his side as well. For his domestic side Saurashtra, Sakariya had great SMAT and VHT campaigns, having taken 12 and 17 wickets, respectively.
Abhinav Manohar
A left-field option. He isn’t a like-for-like option for Harshit Rana but Abhinav Manohar can fix a gap in the KKR side. With Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Kartik Tyagi, Akash Deep and a couple of overseas pacers in the side, the three-time champs don’t necessarily need another pacer.
Hence, what KKR can instead look to do is to strengthen their weak area. Currently, they don’t have an ideal backup of a middle-order bat or a finisher. The likes of Ramandeep, Rinku and Powell will all start in the first XI, with Tejasvi Singh the only option available on the bench. The Delhi wicket-keeper has no experience of playing IPL cricket and has played less than SMAT games for Delhi.
That is where an individual like Abhinav Manohar can come in. It was surprising that someone of his calibre went unsold, having played four seasons of IPL for teams like the Gujarat Titans and SRH. Manohar has an exceptional talent for dishing out those much-needed cameos and can be an ideal backup to someone like Rinku Singh. In the last two combined seasons of the KSCA Maharaja Trophy, Manohar has 791 runs and an SR of above 170.
Full KKR squad for IPL 2026
Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana (ruled out), Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Tejasvi Singh, Finn Allen, Karthik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Tim Seifert, Rahul Tripathi, Blessing Muzarabani, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep, Matheesha Pathirana, Sarthak Ranjan
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