Indian and Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) pacer Harshit Rana was spotted in the City of Joy on April 6, Monday ahead of the franchise’s crucial match at the Punjab Kings (PBKS). As a result, there is understandably a buzz among the fans whether Rana has recovered from his injury enough to feature in the eleven against the Punjab Kings.
What injury Harshit Rana has been nursing?
The Delhi-born cricketer had missed India’s victorious T20 World Cup 2026 moment from the start after picking up a knee strain in the warm-up fixture against South Africa and the rehab post that forced him to miss the stint with KKR in the cash-rich league too. According to the official update, Rana has come to Kolkata only to support the Knight Riders and spend time with the family. The 24-year-old is slated to return from injury only during the home ODI series against Afghanistan in June as a dress rehearsal for 2027 World Cup.
The youngster has arguably been one of the best performers for KKR, notably playing an instrumental role in their title victory in 2024, picking up 19 scalps in 13 games at 24.47 to emerge as the second-highest wicket-taker for the franchise that edition. Rana added to the catalogue of injuries to KKR, who were already without Akash Deep and Matheesha Pathirana, whose comeback date is yet to be revealed.
Kolkata Knight Riders searching for their first IPL 2026 win against in-form Punjab Kings
Meanwhile, the Knight Riders have started their campaign with two consecutive losses – going down convincingly to the Mumbai Indians and SunRisers Hyderabad. KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane has arguably grabbed the spotlight not only due to back-to-back losses but also his comments following the 65-run defeat to the SunRisers Hyderabad. With criticism coming his way, Rahane, known for his composure dropped it and lashed out at his critics. There have also been reports of rift in the KKR camp and it could severely dent their chances of making a comeback when the tournament reaches the business end.
At the same time, the Knight Riders desperately need their big-ticket player Cameron Green to step up after a horror start to his stint. While the fans can expect a couple of changes in KKR’s XI, PBKS are unlikely to tweak their XI.
