Injury Woes Continue for KKR, Another Pacer Ruled Out....

The three-time title holder Kolkata Knight Riders have faced another blow ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026. As per the reports in Cricbuzz, it is learned that Akash Deep has been ruled out of the entire season of the league. The IPL 2026 is all set to commence on March 28, and even before the start, the 2024 champions have again been hit by a major blow. After one of the best bowlers in IPL, Harshit Rana, who too has been ruled out of the IPL, and Matheesha Pathirana, who will miss the first few games, Akash Deep has added his IPL injured player list.

The nature of the Akash Deep Injury is yet to be known, but his absence will leave a massive void in the KKR lineup. In the absence of Harshit, Deep was expected to lead the pace attack, but now the onus will be on the youngsters to take the team forward.

Akash Deep Injury Puts KKR in Trouble

Akash Deep was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders at last year's IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi for ₹1 crore. A top official from KKR confirmed the development to Cricbuzz. "Unfortunately, he is out of the IPL, ruled out for the season," the KKR official told Cricbuzz.

While representing Lucknow Super Giants in the biggest cricket league in the world in 2025, his performances weren't impressive. That's why he was released from the squad ahead of the auction. With KKR picking him in the team, it was expected that he would make a strong comeback for his home franchise; however, that is not going to happen now.

Akash Deep now joins Harshit Rana, Matheesha Pathirana, Sam Curran, Nathan Ellis, Eshan Malinga and others in the IPL injured player list. Although KKR are yet to announce the development officially, it is expected that they will announce the replacement soon.

Who will be Akash Deep Injury Replacement for IPL 2026?

KKR will be looking at the options after Akash Deep injury. They recently invited six pacers to attend the trials at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The likes of Navdeep Saini, Simarjeet Singh, and Akash Madhwal impressed the management with their trials.

It is expected that KKR will name two replacements in place for Harshit Rana and Akash Deep. The reports in Revsportz claimed that Navdeen Saini and Akash Madhwal are the front-runners to take the spots. KKR will open their campaign against the Mumbai Indians on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It remains to be seen how they cope with the injury woes.