New Delhi. It is very difficult for Indian fast bowler Harshit Rana to play for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026. Harshit, who got injured just before the T20 World Cup, had to undergo surgery, after which he is now in recovery mode. Although, the KKR franchise has not officially confirmed his exclusion from IPL 2026, but it is believed that the team may announce his replacement. If reports are to be believed, KKR can include Delhi fast bowler Simarjeet Singh, who has played for Chennai Super Kings, in the team in place of Harshit Rana for the IPL 2026 season.
According to media reports, KKR had recently organized a trial in which about 6 fast bowlers participated, Simarjeet was also one of them. It is believed that 28 year old Simarjeet impressed KKR the most in this trial. Let us tell you that Simarjeet spent 3 seasons with Chennai Super Kings from 2022 to 2024. However, he got a chance to play only 10 matches. He was selected by Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2025, but he could not perform well. He played only 4 matches for this team. After this, he did not find any buyer in the IPL 2026 auction. Simarjeet is known for his ability to consistently bowl at a speed of more than 140 KMPH, bowl the ball at the right length and bowl accurate yorkers.
Simarjeet Singh can be included in the team in place of Harshit Rana.
What update on Harshit Rana?
Harshit suffered an injury to his right knee while playing against South Africa in the warm-up match of the 2026 T20 World Cup, after which he had to undergo surgery. However, there is no information about how much time it will take for him to become fully fit and return to the field. Two days ago news came that Harshit has been ruled out of IPL 2026. These reports were largely confirmed on March 15, when Harshit was seen walking with the help of crutches. Actually, Harshit was given the ‘Best International Debut (Men) 2024–25’ award at the BCCI Naman Awards 2026 held in New Delhi, but when his name was taken for the award, he could not go on stage. The award was given to him at his place itself. After the event, a video of him surfaced, in which he was seen walking with the help of crutches.
However, in a report by Cricbuzz it was said that the Kolkata Knight Riders team will not include any other player in place of Harshit Rana and Mathisha Pathirana. Knight Riders management believes that they have plenty of options for fast bowling. Apart from this, he also does not see any obvious Indian option to replace Rana. The team already includes four Indian fast bowlers – Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Karthik Tyagi and Akash Deep.
Let us tell you that Pathirana, a member of Sri Lanka’s World Cup team, had to be out of the team due to injury. However, sources say that the Knight Riders are not thinking of replacing him with any other player, as the franchise hopes that this bowler will be available to play at some point during the tournament, even if he is not available for the entire season.
Blessing Muzarabani’s entry
The franchise has recently included Blessing Muzarabani in the team in place of Mustafizur Rahman. Mustafizur had to be released from the team on the instructions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Muzarabani was to play for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League, but he rejected the PSL contract and decided to join the IPL.