The Kolkata Knight Riders’ injury concerns grow as Akash Deep has been ruled out of the IPL 2026 as he continues his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE).

The pacer has not reported for the Kolkata Knight Riders camp, which has been underway in Kolkata since March 18. His absence could be a major setback for KKR, who are already hit with injury concerns in the bowling lineup.

The team management and CoE doctors are closely monitoring his progress before making a final call.

Injuries have been a recurring issue for Akash Deep, forcing him to miss several matches for both India and his IPL teams. Since his IPL debut, he has played only 14 games over four seasons, taking 10 wickets at an economy rate of 11.82.

Later, he wa was signed by Lucknow Super Giants for INR 8 crore for IPL 2025 season where he picked three wickets in six games. He joined Kolkata Knight Riders for base price of INR 1 crore.

Kolkata’s fast bowling department has emerged as a major concern ahead of the IPL 2026, with multiple setbacks.

First, BCCI asked franchise to remove Mustafizur Rahman (INR 18 crore) due to geo political tension between the country.

On the other hand, Harshit Rana is unlikely to feature in the IPL 2026 due to knee injury he sustained before the 2026 T20 World Cup.

However, the biggest concern is the fitness of Matheesha Pathirana who joined the side for INR 18 crore.

His availability remains uncertain as he underwent rehabilitation from a calf issue. Despite SLC secretary said Pathirana has completed his rehabilitation and received the necessary clearance to participate in the IPL, it is observed that he will be missing the first half of the 2026 season.

With KKR dealing with injury issues, three-time IPL champions are considering Simarjeet Singh and KM Asif along with Sandeep Warrier as potential replacements.

As per the KKR 2026 schedule, Riders will play their first match against Mumbai Indians on March 29 at Wankhede Stadium,Mumbai.