India Suffers Massive Setback as Star Bowler is Ruled Out of T20 World Cup 2026

India is all set to start their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign from February 7 as they meet the USA at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The Men in Blue are the defending champions of the tournament and have a top-notch squad led by skipper Suryakumar Yadav.

But, amidst the excitement for the tournament opener, India has suffered a massive setback as the news of star bowler Harshit Rana injury surfaced, and he has been ruled out of the tournament due to an injury.

Harshit Rana Ruled Out of T20 World Cup 2026

Just a day before the start of the T20 World Cup 2026, India is under pressure as Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the tournament. As per Harshit Rana injury update, he sustained a knee injury ahead of the start of the marquee event. During the warm-up match against South Africa, he was in visible discomfort while bowling. He conceded 16 runs in an over but later walked off the field.

The young pacer was seen limping as well. Earlier, when he was bowling, he pulled out of his delivery stride twice. With his absence, the Indian team will miss his bowling abilities as he has shown skills to become one of the best bowler in India. Rana played during the T20I series against New Zealand but wasn't very effective. However, his contributions with the bat were quite noticeable. The 24-year-old was looking forward to cementing his place in the T20Is, and the World Cup could have given him that opportunity. The selectors will have to look for Harshit Rana replacement for the upcoming marquee event.

Mohammed Siraj Likely To Replace Harshit Rana in T20 World Cup Squad

India is likely to pick up Mohammed Siraj as Harshit Rana replacement for the T20 World Cup 2026. Rana's exclusion was a huge blow for India before the start of the ICC event. The Men in Blue are waiting for approval from the ICC to announce Siraj's inclusion in the squad, as per reports.

Siraj last featured in a T20I match in 2024. Overall, he has played 16 games and taken 14 wickets at an average of 32.28. If he gets the call-up, he'll make a comeback in the T20I squad after two years. The pacer is a regular in the Test squad, but hasn't gotten many chances in white-ball cricket. This might be an opportunity for him to showcase his talent if he gets included in the playing XI.