Harshit Rana Ruled Out Of T20 World Cup 2026, Mohammed Siraj Replaces Him In India Squad

India's pace attack is set for a late change ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup after fast bowler Harshit Rana was ruled out with an injury. According to sources, Mohammed Siraj is expected to be named as his replacement, with selectors likely to take the final call later in the evening.

Injury Forces India Into Squad Adjustment

The team management was alerted to Rana's condition on Thursday evening, raising immediate concerns about his availability for the tournament. While India's T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav initially maintained that the all-rounder had not been officially ruled out, subsequent updates confirmed the pacer would not recover in time.

"Harshit Rana hasn't been ruled out yet, physios are assessing him but he doesn't look good," Surya had said in a pre match conference where India face USA in their World Cup opener.

Captain Acknowledges Potential Setback

Yadav admitted that losing a player like Rana could disrupt the team's balance, particularly given the carefully planned squad combination. However, he also emphasised that India has enough depth to handle the situation.

"It's a big blow because of the combination we make keeping in mind 15 players. If he misses out we will definitely miss him. We have enough options. We shall look at the replacements of fast bowlers that are there. We shall pick the best one. I know there is the case of someone batting at no 9 like Harshit but having said that the first 8 batsmen will do what then?! They have to bat," he added.

Warm-Up Match Injury Raised Alarm

The injury occurred during a warm-up clash against South Africa when Rana appeared uncomfortable while bowling. The Delhi pacer struggled to complete his run-up and pulled out of his delivery stride twice in the same over, signalling that something was wrong.

Moments later, he was seen holding his knee in visible pain before walking off the field, cutting short his outing. Rana managed to bowl just one over in the match, conceding 16 runs before leaving the action.

With the tournament fast approaching, India is now poised to bring in Siraj to strengthen its pace unit and maintain the squad's competitive edge.