India pacer Harshit Rana ruled out of T20 World Cup with knee injury, Siraj likely to replace him

India’s fast bowler Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after sustaining a knee injury during the team’s warm-up match against South Africa in Navi Mumbai. The selectors are likely to name Mohammed Siraj as his replacement in the evening, as per reports.

The injury reportedly occurred during India’s World Cup warm-up fixture on February 4, when the right-arm pacer was forced to cut short his bowling spell after twice pulling out of his run-up. 

Rana left the field clutching his right knee, having bowled only one over, which conceded 16 runs.

As per reports, medical assessments conducted the following day revealed effusion, restricted movement and tenderness along the lateral joint line of his right knee. Subsequent scans confirmed a lateral meniscus tear. Following a consultation with orthopaedic specialist Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala on February 6, Rana was advised to undergo surgical repair, effectively ruling him out of the tournament.

India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav had earlier expressed concern over Rana’s fitness. “Harshit does not look good. We will know today,” he said at a pre-match press conference. “If Harshit is ruled out, it will be a big blow. We will have to look at other combinations. But we have enough bench strength.”

Addressing questions on a possible replacement, Suryakumar said it was not necessary that the team would opt for another all-rounder. “We shall see. There is no hard-and-fast rule that he has to be an all-rounder,” he added.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to issue an official statement on the extent of Rana’s injury or his replacement in the squad.