Harshit Rana emerged as one of India’s most improved cricketers in 2025, capping off a breakthrough year that saw him establish himself as a reliable fast-bowling option across formats.

Fast-tracked into the national setup under Gautam Gambhir’s watch, Rana impressed with his raw pace, aggression, and useful lower-order batting ability at No. 8 and no. 9. After a challenging start to his international career, the young pacer found his rhythm and finished the year as one of India’s standout performers.

Rana ended 2025 with 27 wickets, outdoing the likes of Arshdeep Singh (25) and Hardik Pandya (19). In T20Is, he consistently made an impact, particularly during the powerplay overs, earning himself a spot in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026.

However, what should have been a dream moment soon turned into heartbreak.

During India’s lone warm-up match against South Africa, just three days before the start of the World Cup, Rana suffered a knee injury. He appeared visibly uncomfortable while bowling his only over at the DY Patil Stadium, clutching his knee before limping off the field.

Shortly after, the BCCI confirmed that Rana had been ruled out of the T20 World Cup, dealing a major blow to the 24-year-old’s maiden World Cup hopes. Senior pacer Mohammed Siraj was named as his replacement in the squad.

Harshit Rana to miss IPL 2026?

The setback may extend beyond the World Cup. According to a report by Revsportz, Rana is set to undergo surgery, raising serious doubts over his availability for the Indian Premier League 2026, scheduled to begin on March 26.

While surgery at such an early stage of his career is unfortunate, it now places Rana in a race against time to regain fitness. There is growing concern that he may miss the start of IPL 2026, or potentially the tournament entirely.

This would be a significant blow for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who retained Rana for ₹4 crore under the uncapped player rule. The three-time champions were banking on Rana to lead their pace attack, especially with his added international experience.

KKR’s bowling resources are already stretched, with the franchise yet to announce a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman, making Rana’s potential absence even more concerning.

While clarity is awaited on the exact recovery timeline, it appears increasingly likely that Rana will miss at least the initial phase of IPL 2026, with a lengthy rehabilitation period expected under the BCCI’s supervision.