Harshit Rana ruled out (Source:AFP)The Kolkata Knight Riders have suffered a major setback ahead of IPL 2026 as Indian pacer Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the entire season due to a knee injury (as per TOI). The fast bowler picked up the injury during a T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa earlier this year, which forced him to miss India's campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Following medical advice, Harshit Rana underwent knee surgery in Mumbai on February 9. Doctors estimated a recovery period of two to three months, but his rehabilitation timeline means he will not regain full match fitness in time for the upcoming IPL season.Harshit Rana's replacement for IPL 2026 revealedWith Harshit Rana ruled out, reports suggest that fast bowler Simarjeet Singh is set to replace him in the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for the IPL 2026. The former CSK pacer reportedly impressed during KKR's pace-bowling trials. According to journalist Mohsin Kamal, the franchise invited around six pacers for trials after Harshit Rana was ruled out, with Simarjeet Singh emerging as the frontrunner to secure the replacement spot.Also Read: Cameron Green Gives KKR The Best News Before IPL 2026Meanwhile, KKR have already made other adjustments to their squad. After Mustafizur Rahman became unavailable, the franchise signed Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani as a replacement. Mohsin Kamal @64MohsinKamal NEW: Simarjeet Singh is likely to replace Harshit Rana in the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for #IPL2026. #KKR had called up around six pacers for trials after Harshit was ruled out, with Simarjeet understood to be leading the race. Simarjeet Singh's numbers in IPLSimarjeet Singh was part of the CSK from 2022 to 2024, where he played 10 matches and picked up 9 wickets with an economy rate of 8.63. In 2025, he joined SRH but struggled to make an impact, taking just 2 wickets in 4 matches while conceding runs at an economy rate of 14.10. As a result, he went unsold in the IPL 2026 auction.KKR face pace bowling concerns ahead of IPL 2026KKR could face serious challenges in their pace bowling department ahead of the IPL 2026 season. The defending champions are dealing with multiple concerns in their fast-bowling unit.One of the biggest worries for the franchise is the potential absence of Harshit Rana. The fast bowler played a crucial role in KKR’s title-winning campaign in 2024 and remained an important part of the squad in the following season as well.In IPL 2025, Harshit played in 13 matches and bagged 15 wickets at an economy rate of 10.18.If Harshit Rana is unavailable, it could leave a significant gap in KKR’s bowling attack. The team relied on him to deliver key overs at the end of the innings, a phase where controlling runs and taking wickets becomes extremely important. KKR’s situation is further complicated by other changes in the squad. Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman is no longer part of the team setup, while Sri Lankan bowler Matheesha Pathirana is still dealing with fitness concerns.Given these issues, KKR will likely rely heavily on its remaining Indian pacers. The current pace lineup includes Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Kartik Tyagi and Akash Deep.Also Read: SRH IPL 2026 Squad Analysis: Predicted Playing XI, SWOT And Expected Finish
