KKR likely to replace injured Harshit Rana with ex-CSK pacer for IPL 2026

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are expected to announce Delhi fast bowler Simarjeet Singh as the replacement for injured Harshit Rana for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.

KKR’s Harshit Rana replacement

According to KSportsWatch, KKR recently conducted a trial where about 6 fast bowlers turned up; Simarjeet was one of them. The 2-time IPL champions were most impressed by the 28-year-old, who has played in the league before.

Simarjeet spent 3 seasons with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), from 2022 to 2024. But managed to play just 10 matches. He was picked by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2025 but couldn’t perform. He featured in just 4 games for them. Simarjeet then failed to attract a bidder at the IPL 2026 auction.

Known for his ability to bowl at over 140 consistently, hit hard lengths, and nail yorkers, Simarjeet has been one of the best bowlers in the Delhi Premier League (DPL).

Harshit Rana injury update

Harshit had sustained an injury on his right knee while playing in the 2026 T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa. A couple of days later, the tall pacer shared that he’d undergone surgery. Over the next month, we received no update on Harshit.

No idea about the injury he’d picked up. Was it a meniscus or ligament tear? How long will he take to recover? Then, two days ago, reports came out that Harshit has been ruled out of IPL 2026. Yesterday, these reports were somewhat confirmed.

Attending the BCCI Naman Awards 2026, he was named the Best International Debut (Men) 2024–25. But couldn’t even climb the stairs to accept the award. He even required a stick to walk around. It’s safe to assume that these reports are correct since KKR will commence their IPL 2026 campaign in less than 2 weeks, on March 29.

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