India suffer double blow! Harshit Rana & another pacer ruled out of Afghanistan, England series

The Kolkata Knight Riders' pace bowling duo of Harshit Rana and Akash Deep are likely to be unfit for India's upcoming tour to England and the Afghanistan series as well. This remains a massive area of concern for the Indian team.

India will be on their tour to England after they take on the Afghanistan side in the home series. They will then set off to England for a long white-ball series, which will include several ODIs as well as T20Is against the Men in Blue, who will be preparing for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2027.

Harshit Rana and Akash Deep among two pacers ruled out from India's upcoming tours

The two pacers who were part of the Kolkata Knight Riders camp in IPL 2026, Harshit Rana and Akash Deep, have missed the entire season for the Knight Riders. They are not yet match-fit, and some reports from PTI have claimed that they are not yet match-fit and might miss the two upcoming tours.

Currently, Akash Deep is rehabilitating from a back injury, while Harshit Rana, on the other hand, has undergone knee surgery after a ligament tear, which has also ruled him out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

"Akash's and Harshit's rehabilitation is on track, but there is still a long way to go before they can be released to play matches. If we are talking about Afghanistan and the UK tour, there is no chance of both of them getting fit before that."

"They are still doing strengthening routines. After that there will be jogging, strides, sprints and then skills associated with 'Return To Play' (RTP) protocols," a BCCI source tracking the development told PTI.

Akash Deep to miss out on another home test series for India

The Bengal pacer Akash Deep had played in the domestic season for the side but then missed the entire season for the Kolkata Knight Riders. He has been a prospect for the Indian red-ball side.

India's red-ball match against Afghanistan in the one-off test series is crucial from the point of view of players like Akash Deep, since, many senior players would not be part of this series as this match follows the IPL 2026 contest and is also not part of the World Test Championship.

As per the latest reports, AkashDeep is more likely to take even more time than Harshit Rana for his recovery, and the Duleep Trophy this season seems to be a more realistic chance for his return.

Who could replace Harshit Rana in the Indian white-ball side?

While Harshit Rana's return would be a bigger concern for the Indian team, since India is destined to feature in three ODI matches against Afghanistan before their tour to England, where they play eight white-ball matches this season.

Harshit Rana was replaced by Mohammed Siraj in the ICC T20 World Cup; however, many other players, especially some splendid performers in IPL 2026, could have the upper hand to make their debut or their return to the Indian side.

Mohammed Shami has done outstanding with the new ball, while Prasidh Krishna, Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav and Anshul Kamboj have been genuine wicket-takers so far in this season. Considering their prior experience in England, Siraj and Prasidh could be given the upper hand.

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