Blow to India World Cup plans: Harshit Rana ruled out due to knee injury
According to multiple media reports, Harshit Rana suffered knee injury thus ruled out of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 on the eve of India vs USA match in Mumbai
 "Blow to India World Cup plans: Harshit Rana ruled out due to knee injury")
India’s plans for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 suffered a major blow on Friday after pacer Harshit Rana was ruled out of the marquee event due to a knee injury. Reports of Rana’s injury emerged on the eve of India’s tournament opener against the United States of America (USA) at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
Rana’s replacement in the squad is expected to be Mohammed Siraj, as confirmed by reliable sources within the BCCI.
Speaking at a press conference before India’s opening match against the USA, Suryakumar had stated, “Harshit hasn’t been ruled out yet, the physios are assessing him, but he doesn’t look good.” He further tried to downplay the situation by adding, “Don’t worry, we have 11 players for tomorrow. But it obviously would be a big blow because you make a squad of 15 after a lot of thought, and he was included after some careful consideration.”
While Suryakumar acknowledged the loss of Rana would be significant, he reassured that the team had sufficient alternatives for the tournament. “If he’s unavailable, we will then set different combinations. We have enough players and combinations to face all teams, but we will miss him if he’s not available,” he noted.
Rana had bowled just one over in the warm-up game against South Africa, conceding 16 runs before limping off the field with the knee injury. Despite not being a guaranteed first-team player with an economy rate of 10.60 in nine T20Is, Rana's inclusion would have added value in specific match situations, with his ability to also contribute with the bat.
In his absence, experienced pacers like Prasidh Krishna and Siraj are the likely candidates for a spot in the squad. Additionally, all-rounder Washington Sundar is also under a cloud due to a side strain and rib injury.
Suryakumar said, “We will look at which fast bowlers have performed well in the last one or two years or if there’s anyone who can also contribute with the bat.” He added, “But there is no hard and fast rule that the bowler must bat. If you’re expecting someone at No.9 or No.10 to hit a six, then what are the other eight doing? We do have a few options and will pick the best one.”