Who will be Harshit Rana’s replacement for KKR in IPL 2026? The name of this fast bowler who has played for CSK is at the forefront

By Samira Vishwas On Mar 17, 2026

Kolkata Knight Riders may face a big blow before IPL 2026, as fast bowler Harshit Rana may be out of the entire season due to injury. In such a situation, the team is busy searching for his replacement and after the trials, the name of an uncapped Indian fast bowler is being said to be at the forefront.

Before the start of IPL 2026 to be played from March 22, a big concern has emerged for Kolkata Knight Riders. The team’s emerging fast bowler Harshit Rana may be out of this season due to injury. Although it has not been officially announced yet, but according to reports, his chances of playing are considered very low.

Harshit Rana had performed brilliantly for Kolkata Knight Riders between 2024 and 2025. He was a part of the team’s title campaign in 2024 and this season Harshit took 19 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 20.16. In the last season also, he played an important role in fast bowling for the team by taking 15 wickets.

It is noteworthy that Harshit suffered a knee injury during the warm-up match of the T20 World Cup 2026 against South Africa, after which he was out of the entire tournament and the Indian team had to include Mohammed Siraj in his place. The trouble for Kolkata Knight Riders has increased because the situation regarding the fitness of their foreign fast bowler Mathisha Pathirana is also not clear. Questions remain over his playing due to the injury sustained during the T20 World Cup 2026.

Meanwhile, some media reports are claiming that the name of Delhi fast bowler Simarjeet Singh is in the forefront to replace Harshit Rana. It is being told that KKR had called many fast bowlers for trials, out of which Simarjeet Singh impressed the team management the most.

The specialty of this tall fast bowler is his fast pace and accurate yorker. Simarjeet Singh made his IPL debut for Chennai Super Kings in 2022 and took 9 wickets while playing 10 matches for the franchise. After this, he was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2025 auction, but his performance this season was not special. He took only two wickets in four matches and also proved costly. In such a situation, it has to be seen whether this bowler really becomes the replacement of Harshit Rana for Kolkata Knight Riders this season or not.