Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have suffered yet another blow, with Akash Deep becoming the latest bowler to be ruled out of IPL 2026 due to an injury. The pacer is no stranger to injuries, as his career has been marred with more setbacks since his debut. Without Akash and Harshit Rana and with Matheesha Pathirana set to join only in mid-April, KKR are now left with a depleted pace unit. Ahead of IPL 2026, let’s take a look at the history of Akash Deep’s injuries thus far.
Timeline of Akash Deep’s injuries
Akash Deep made his IPL debut with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) way back in IPL 2022 where he played just 5 matches. Following that, he played just two games in 2023 and one game in 2024 largely due to injuries. In 2025, he sustained a back injury before the start of the IPL which saw him miss a few games for LSG. In that season, he featured in 6 matches for the franchise where he managed to pick up 3 wickets while boasting of a miserable average of over 76. In total, injuries have barred Akash from taking part in the IPL regularly and has played just 14 games in the league, with 10 wickets to his name.
Following IPL 2025, he sustained a groin injury during the series against England. He was last seen in action in the Ranji Trophy 2025/26 earlier this year for Bengal where he picked up a lower back injury. He is currently under rehabilitation at the BCCI’s COE and is expected to take months to recover. He was bought by KKR in the mini-auction for Rs 1 crore after he was released by LSG as he failed to justify his Rs 8 crore price tag in IPL 2025.
While Akash’s injury comes as the latest setback for KKR, the team will double think on whether he his required in the side in the future – given his injury-prone nature.
