Harshit Rana has successfully undergone surgery on his right knee. The 24-year-old fast bowler had sustained the said injury on February 4 while playing a warm-up match against South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Harshit hobbled off the field and two days later, was ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026. He was subsequently replaced by Mohammed Siraj, who featured in India’s opening fixture against the United States of America (USA) on February 7.
“Team India pacer Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after sustaining a knee injury during the warm-up match against South Africa in Navi Mumbai on February 4th, 2026. Following consultations with a specialist and subsequent scans, the BCCI medical team deemed him unfit to participate in the tournament,” BCCI had stated.
Surgery done, recovery next
It was reported that Harshit would undergo surgery and that’s exactly what’s happened. The pacer from Delhi provided the update himself on social media. “Surgery done right, now focused on recovery and getting back to what I love,” Harshit wrote.
Out of IPL 2026?
At the moment, it’s unsure how long it’ll take for Harshit to return to the field. Depending on the severity of the injury (grade) and whether it’s a meniscus or ligament tear, it could take anywhere from one month to a year to recover. In 2021, tennis player Taylor Fritz underwent knee surgery for a meniscus tear and returned in just 3 weeks, but that’s a rarity rather than the norm.
This situation casts serious concern over Harshit’s availability for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, which starts on March 26. Reports suggest that the pacer could miss the entire season.
This puts the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a bind. The 2-time IPL champions are yet to find a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman, and now, they might need another high-quality fast bowler to replace Harshit.
