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IPL 2026: Navdeep Saini Joins KKR, Kulwant Khejroliya Returns to GT as Replacements

Kolkata Knight Riders have acquired Indian pacer Navdeep Saini as a replacement for the injured Harshit Rana for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. Rana sustained a knee injury during a T20 World Cup warm-up match and has undergone surgery. Simultaneously, Gujarat Titans have signed left-arm bowler Kulwant Khejroliya to fill the spot left by the injured Prithviraj Yarra. Both franchises have announced their full squads for the tournament, featuring a mix of domestic and international stars.

Key Points: IPL 2026 Player Replacements: Saini to KKR, Khejroliya to GT

  • Navdeep Saini replaces Harshit Rana at KKR
  • Kulwant Khejroliya joins GT for injured Prithviraj Yarra
  • Rana injured during T20 World Cup warm-up
  • Saini brings 23 IPL wickets to KKR
2 min read

IPL 2026: Navdeep Saini replaces Harshit Rana at KKR; Kulwant Khejroliya joins GT in place of Prithviraj Yarra

Kolkata Knight Riders sign Navdeep Saini for Rs 75 Lakh to replace injured Harshit Rana. Gujarat Titans bring in Kulwant Khejroliya for Rs 30 Lakh after Prithviraj Yarra's injury.

"Saini will replace the injured Harshit Rana and join KKR for Rs 75 Lakh - IPL Statement"

New Delhi, March 25

Three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders and one-time winners Gujarat Titans have picked Navdeep Saini and Kulwant Khejroliya, respectively, as player replacements for the upcoming Indian Premier League 2026. The right-arm speedster Navdeep Saini has scalped 23 wickets in 32 IPL matches played so far, in addition to 23 wickets in international cricket for India. Saini will replace the injured Harshit Rana and join KKR for Rs 75 Lakh, according to a statement released by IPL.

Harshit Rana had suffered a knee strain during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup warm-up fixture against South Africa.

After this, the right-arm speedster underwent knee surgery and is undergoing rehabilitation, with no confirmation about the return of the Indian speedster by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical team. Meanwhile, Khejroliya replaces the injured Prithviraj Yarra in the Gujarat-based franchise. The left-arm pacer, who has six IPL wickets to his name, has previously featured for GT, KKR, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He will join GT for Rs 30 Lakh.

Kolkata Knight Riders squad for IPL 2026 season:

Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Navdeep Saini, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Tejasvi Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep, Blessing Muzarabani.

Gujarat Titans squad for IPL 2026:

Shubman Gill (captain), Sai Sudharsan, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Arshad Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Ashok Sharma, Jason Holder, Tom Banton, Kulwant Khejroliya, Luke Wood.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Sarah B
Interesting to see Kulwant Khejroliya back at GT for just 30 Lakh. He's a left-armer, which adds variety, but his IPL record isn't very impressive. GT seems to be taking a low-cost punt. Hope it works out for them.
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Vikram M
KKR's squad looks very strong on paper. Saini for Rana is a like-for-like pace swap. But the real question is, will they finally use Umran Malik properly? He's been warming the bench for two seasons! Wasted talent.
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Priya S
As a KKR fan, I'm happy with Saini. He's a fighter. But honestly, the constant injuries to our Indian pacers is a worry. BCCI needs to look at the workload management more seriously, not just for stars but for upcoming players too.
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Rohit P
GT's bowling attack with Rabada, Siraj, Rashid, and now Khejroliya for depth... scary for other teams! Shubman Gill leading that side is exciting. Hope he has a great season with the bat and as captain.
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Michael C
The financial aspect is always fascinating. Saini for 75 Lakh seems like a bargain for a player with international experience. Shows how the auction dynamics change year on year. Good business by both franchises.

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