Harshit Rana Ruled Out of T20 World Cup 2026 Due to Injury

India's captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed, during the pre-match press conference ahead of the team's campaign-opener against the USA on Saturday, that Harshit Rana "was not looking good" after the warm-up match against South Africa, and the team physios are having a look at his injury.

"Harshit was not looking good after the warm-up game. The physios are assessing it," said Suryakumar Yadav.

The 24-year-old Delhi pacer managed just one over, giving away 16 runs, and played no further role in the match. Earlier in the match, Rana also batted for the Men in Blue, facing just one ball.

With doubts already looming over spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar's fitness, Rana's exit from India's campaign further deepens the defending champions' concerns ahead of the global event.

Harshit Rana has so far featured in nine T20Is for the Men in Blue. In those nine matches, the bowling all-rounder has scored 57 runs at an average of 28.5, with the highest score of 35. He has also scalped nine wickets at an average of 33.0 with the best figures of 3/33.

Coming to the warm-up fixture, India registered a comfortable 30-run victory in their lone warm-up match. In-form Ishan Kishan stayed in red-hot touch, smashing a rapid 53 off just 20 balls, including seven sixes and two fours, as India posted a daunting 241 for five after batting first on a batting-friendly pitch. The bowlers then delivered a collective effort,with Suryakumar Yadav and co. deploying as many as nine bowling options -- with Abhishek Sharma picking up two wickets -- to limit South Africa to 210 for seven.

India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026 (prior to Harshit Rana injury): Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan (WK), Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.

- ANI