Vadodara / Mumbai, February 6, 2026
By THE BARODIAN Sports Desk
Defending champions Team India have suffered a major pre-tournament setback ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with promising young fast bowler Harshit Rana ruled out of the entire event due to a knee injury.
According to reliable information received , the injury occurred during India’s warm-up match against South Africa. Rana, who was bowling the first over of the innings, could bowl only one over — leaking 16 runs — before he was forced to leave the field in visible discomfort. He aborted his run-up several times due to pain in his right knee and eventually clutched the area, signaling the end of his participation in the match.
Medical scans and expert consultations conducted immediately after the incident confirmed a significant knee issue, making it impossible for the 23-year-old pacer to recover in time for the tournament.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav addressed the media shortly before India’s opening match preparations and admitted the concern.
“He is currently with the physios. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look good at the moment,” Suryakumar said.
“Harshit’s absence will definitely be felt. He brings a lot of energy and has been bowling really well. But we have good options and we will pick the best combination for the World Cup.”
Harshit Rana’s exclusion is seen as a big blow to India’s pace-bowling unit. The Bengal fast bowler had forced his way into the squad with consistent performances in domestic cricket and the IPL, and was expected to provide genuine pace and lower-order hitting ability.
Mohammed Siraj emerges as the likely replacement
In a swift move, the BCCI selection committee and team management have decided to name experienced India pacer Mohammed Siraj as Harshit Rana’s replacement, subject to final ICC approval.
Multiple sources close to the team management indicate that Siraj has already been informed and is expected to join the squad in Mumbai in the coming hours. The 31-year-old right-arm fast bowler, who has played 16 T20 Internationals and taken 14 wickets, was surprisingly left out of the original 15-member squad announced last month.
Siraj’s inclusion is expected to add much-needed experience and control to the pace attack, especially in the powerplay and death overs. He will now form a formidable trio alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.
India’s updated probable squad for T20 World Cup 2026 (as per latest updates):
- Suryakumar Yadav (Captain)
- Abhishek Sharma
- Tilak Varma
- Sanju Samson (wk)
- Hardik Pandya
- Shivam Dube
- Ishan Kishan (wk)
- Rinku Singh
- Axar Patel
- Washington Sundar
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Varun Chakaravarthy
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Arshdeep Singh
- Mohammed Siraj (replacement)
Tournament schedule reminder
India begin their title defence on February 7, 2026, when they take on co-hosts United States at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in the tournament opener.
The BCCI is expected to make an official announcement regarding Harshit Rana’s injury and Mohammed Siraj’s inclusion in the next 24 hours.
THE BARODIAN SPORTS will continue to bring you the latest updates from the T20 World Cup 2026, live from the venues.
Stay tuned for more cricket news and analysis.
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