Harshit Rana Ruled Out; Siraj Replaces for T20 World Cup 2026
Harshit Rana Ruled Out; Siraj Replaces for T20 World Cup 2026
India fast bowler Harshit Rana is ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026 with a knee injury; Mohammed Siraj named replacement as India gear up for their opener against USA in Mumbai.
Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 after a knee injury picked up in the warm-up clash against South Africa in Navi Mumbai. The BCCI confirmed after a specialist assessment and scans that Rana is unfit for the tournament, paving the way for Mohammed Siraj to join the squad as his replacement.
Rana bowled just one over in the warm-up and pulled out of his run-up twice before leaving the field with his knee strapped. Captain Suryakumar Yadav had earlier indicated Rana wasn’t looking good, underscoring concerns about the team’s bowling depth ahead of the opener.
Washington Sundar, who missed the recent T20 series against New Zealand due to a side strain, remains in the World Cup squad and is expected to return in time for the tournament. Tilak Varma, earlier ruled out by injury, has made a comeback and played in two warm-up matches ahead of the World Cup.
The updated India squad features Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar, and Mohammed Siraj. Siraj will be joining the squad in Mumbai after travelling from his base to link up before the World Cup opener.
India will kick off their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, taking on the USA. Siraj’s arrival adds pace and experience to India’s attack as they seek to balance a squad coping with injuries and a tight schedule ahead of the tournament.
