KKR coach Abhishek Nayar provides major update on Harshit Rana’s replacement, check details
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "KKR coach Abhishek Nayar provides major update on Harshit Rana’s replacement, check details")
Harshit Rana Photograph: (AFP)
Kolkata Knight Riders will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against the Mumbai Indians on Mar 29 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have suffered a major setback ahead of IPL 2026, as their star pacer Harshit Rana almost ruled out of the tournament after injuring a ligament in his right knee during a warm-up match for the T20 World Cup 2026 against South Africa. Following surgery, he is currently recovering, but there is no clear timeline for his return, forcing KKR to explore other bowling options. Speaking at Eden Gardens on Friday (Mar 20), head coach Abhishek Nayar said Rana’s absence is a big loss and explained that Rana has been an important part of the team for the past few seasons and has developed into a strong player, making him hard to replace.
“Firstly, it’s a big blow because Harshit has been an integral part of this team for the last few seasons. All these years, he has grown into a good cricketer. We’ll always miss Harshit Rana, and it’s not easy to replace him," Nayar said at a press conference in Kolkata.
Nayar also said the team has been reviewing several bowlers to find the best replacement, however, no final decision has been made yet. He added that Rana is currently recovering at the BCCI Centre of Excellence and the team expects to announce a replacement in the next few days.
“Having said that, we have looked at a few bowlers over the past few days. We are trying to evaluate, with the help of our leadership group, who fits in and who can play that role to the best of their abilities. So we are still evaluating that and have yet to make that decision. But hopefully, we can identify who can make a difference," he added.
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KKR will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against the Mumbai Indians on Mar 29. Their first home match will be against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Apr 2, where team owner Shah Rukh Khan is likely to be present.
