Summary of this article
Harshit Rana may miss much of the Indian Premier League after knee surgery
The Kolkata Knight Riders pacer suffered a right knee ligament strain during India’s T20 World Cup warm-up against South Africa national cricket team
KKR have signed Blessing Muzarabani as injury cover amid pace concerns, including Matheesha Pathirana’s calf strain
Kolkata Knight Riders fast bowler Harshit Rana could be unavailable for a large part of the upcoming Indian Premier League season as he continues recovering from knee surgery performed last month.
According to a report by ESPNCricinfo, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has not yet set a definite timeline for the pacer’s comeback. Rana picked up a ligament strain in his right knee during India’s T20 World Cup warm-up fixture against South Africa national cricket team.
He is currently undergoing rehabilitation, with “no firm date of return earmarked by the BCCI medical team yet.”
The injury occurred when the young quick pulled up after bowling just one over in that match. He was later ruled out of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup and subsequently underwent surgery.
India drafted in Mohammed Siraj as his replacement, with the pacer featuring in one game against the United States national cricket team during India’s eventual title-winning run. Despite the setback, Rana was recognised on Sunday with the Best International Debutant honour at the BCCI Naman Awards.
His likely absence poses a challenge for KKR, who are already dealing with several injury-related issues among their fast bowlers. Sri Lanka speedster Matheesha Pathirana is also recovering from a calf strain sustained during the T20 World Cup, an injury that was initially not expected to impact his IPL participation.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman will not be available for the franchise after the BCCI instructed teams to release Bangladeshi players earlier this year following strained diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh.
To strengthen their pace unit, KKR have signed Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani as a replacement. Muzarabani has pulled out of his stint with Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League and is expected to join the KKR squad on Tuesday.
The team are scheduled to begin their pre-season training from Wednesday. Other seam-bowling options available to the side include Vaibhav Arora, Akash Deep, Umran Malik, Kartik Tyagi, along with all-rounders Cameron Green and Ramandeep Singh.
KKR will kick off their IPL campaign with an away clash against Mumbai Indians on March 29. They will then return home for matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants during the early stage of the tournament.
