Pacer Navdeep Saini on Wednesday replaced Harshit Rana in the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for the IPL beginning on March 28

The issues continue to increase for three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

KKR's campaign starts against Mumbai Indians on March 29, followed by their first home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 2.

When it comes to IPL 2026, several key names are already in race-against-time mode—some likely to miss the start, one ruled out entirely, and others clouded in uncertainty.

KKR have on their radar former CSK pace duo Simarjeet Singh and KM Asif, along with veteran Sandeep Warrier, to fill the void left by the injured Harshit Rana in the upcoming IPL.

Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Harshit Rana is likely to miss a significant part of the upcoming IPL as he continues to recover from a knee surgery he underwent last month.

Kolkata Knight Riders have decided to not seek a replacement for Indian cricket team fast bowler Harshit Rana ahead of IPL 2026, according to a report.

This development comes hours after KKR roped in Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani for IPL 2026.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav highlighted that the team had suffered a "big blow" just days ahead of their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign.

Mohammed Siraj will replace Harshit Rana in India's T20 World Cup squad following an injury to the latter