India suffered a setback ahead of their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 opener as young pacer Harshit Rana was ruled out due to a knee injury.
Consequently, selectors named Mohammed Siraj as his replacement in the squad, sources confirmed to The Indian Express.
The team management learned about Rana’s troubles on Thursday evening. Although captain Suryakumar Yadav initially said the pacer had not been ruled out, he admitted during the pre-match press conference that Rana “doesn’t look good.” Yadav acknowledged the blow to India’s squad balance but stressed that the team has enough options to cover the loss.
“Harshit Rana hasn’t been ruled out yet, physios are assessing him, but he doesn’t look good,” Yadav said. He added, “It’s a big blow because of the combination we make, keeping in mind 15 players. If he misses out, we will definitely miss him. We have enough options. We shall look at the replacements of fast bowlers who are there. We shall pick the best one.”
Rana’s discomfort became evident during the warm-up game against South Africa. He struggled to complete his run-up, pulling out of his delivery stride twice in a single over. Shortly afterwards, he clutched his knee in distress and hobbled off the field, ending his participation prematurely. He bowled only one over, conceding 16 runs.
