Harshit Rana's surgery completed (Source:X)India fast bowler Harshit Rana has begun his recovery process after successfully undergoing knee surgery, days after being ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026. The star pacer sustained the injury during a warm-up match against South Africa earlier this month, dealing a major blow to his World Cup aspirations.Harshit Rana took to Instagram on Monday, February 9, to confirm that his surgery was successful. In his post, he wrote - "Surgery done right, now focused on recovery and getting back to what I love."Harshit Rana's injury ends T20 World Cup campaignHarshit picked up the injury during India's warm-up fixture against South Africa on February 4 at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The right-arm seamer bowled just one over in the match, conceding 16 runs. Soon after completing the over, Rana was seen in discomfort, clutching his knee as the physios rushed onto the field.He was forced to walk off midway through the game and did not return. Subsequent scans revealed joint tenderness in his right knee. After consulting a specialist, the BCCI medical team declared him unfit for the remainder of the tournament."The BCCI medical team, following consultations and scans, deemed Harshit Rana unfit to participate in the T20 World Cup," the board said in an official release. The ICC later confirmed that Rana had been ruled out and approved a replacement.Mohammed Siraj named as Harshit Rana's ReplacementExperienced fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has been named as Harshit Rana’s replacement in the Indian squad. The 31-year-old pacer, who last played for India in July 2024, has now returned to the Indian setup after being out of contention for some time.Siraj joined the Indian camp in Mumbai, and his inclusion adds experience to India's bowling attack. He made an immediate impact in India’s opening T20 World Cup match against the USA, picking up three wickets for 29 runs as India secured a 29-run victory at the Wankhede Stadium.India were under pressure early in that match, slipping to 46 for 4 in the powerplay. However, skipper Suryakumar Yadav played a brilliant knock of 84 not out off 49 balls to guide India to 161 for 9. The bowlers, led by Siraj, then restricted the USA to 132 for 8.Will Harshit Rana play in IPL 2026?Harshit Rana has showed promise in international cricket after making his debut in 2025. Between 2025 and 2026, he played 9 T20Is for India, picking up nine wickets at an economy rate of 10.61. He also contributed with the bat, scoring 57 runs at a strike rate of 105.56.Now, with surgery behind him, Harshit's sole focus will be on rehabilitation and fitness. While he has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026, a strong recovery could see him return to action later in the year. For the young pacer, the journey back begins now; however, in recent development, as per the Times of India, Harshit Rana might miss a certain portion of the IPL 2026."Rana’s surgery was performed by Dinshaw Pardiwalla at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. He was advised surgical repair of the lateral meniscus. Following surgery and a period of rest, he will begin rehabilitation and report to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru," sources told TOI."While Rana has missed the T20 World Cup, he is also likely to be sidelined for a significant portion of the upcoming IPL, if not the entire tournament," sources added.
