India fast bowler Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after sustaining a serious knee injury during India’s warm-up match against South Africa in Navi Mumbai. The right-arm pacer was forced to abandon his bowling spell after experiencing discomfort in his right knee, leaving the field after just one over.

Medical assessments conducted the following day revealed swelling, restricted movement and lateral joint line tenderness. Subsequent scans confirmed a lateral meniscus tear in Rana’s right knee. After consulting leading orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala on February 6, Rana was advised to undergo surgery, effectively ruling him out of the tournament.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav, while stopping short of officially confirming the news, admitted that Rana’s condition did not look promising and acknowledged that his absence would be a significant setback. He added that India have sufficient bench strength to cope with the loss and would explore alternative bowling combinations.

Mohammed Siraj is currently the frontrunner to replace Harshit Rana in the 15-man squad, though Prasidh Krishna is also being considered. Despite Rana’s ability to contribute with the bat lower down the order, the team management has clarified that bowling performance will remain the primary criterion when selecting a replacement.

India are also monitoring the fitness of Washington Sundar, who is recovering from a side strain, while Tilak Varma has returned to action after regaining fitness. India begin their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7.