New Delhi: Kolkata Knight Riders star fast bowler Harshit Rana may miss IPL 2026 as he recovers from knee surgery, but the youngster has made sure to support his team from the stands. The 24-year-old will be present in the KKR vs Punjab Kings clash on Monday, cheering for his side.The franchise clarified that the youngster is only in town to support the team and spend time with his teammates, posting on their social media handles, “Look who’s here to cheer the Knights tonight. Harshit Rana is in Kolkata, spending a day with his KKR family.”Rana was already ruled out of IPL 2026 as he was recovering from knee surgery in February. KKR brought in Indian fast bowler Navdeep Saini as his replacement in the squad.The injury forced Rana out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. He suffered a knee injury during a warm-up match against the South African national cricket team in Navi Mumbai on 4 February 2026, being ruled out after just one over.He then underwent surgery and was replaced by Mohammad Siraj, as India won the 2026 T20 World Cup at home.Despite the setback, Rana was honored with the Best Men’s International Debutant award at the BCCI Awards in New Delhi last month. He attended the ceremony on crutches, with IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal coming down from the stage to present him with the award.
KKR entered the competition under pressure after losing their opening two matches of IPL 2026 against Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad.Still in search of their first points, KKR may face an additional hurdle due to the weather when they take on Punjab Kings on Monday.According to the IMD weather bulletin, there is a strong chance of rain affecting the match, which could result in a shortened match.With another match against Lucknow Supergiants at the same venue – a match also predicted to rain – weather concerns could add to KKR’s early season woes.According to the IMD, it has been cloudy since morning following a “low pressure trough passing over North Bengal, Assam and Bangladesh from Bihar to Manipur”.“The state is likely to witness another round of Cyclone Kalbishakhi with hail and thundershowers from Sunday to Thursday. Intensification and spread of rain is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday,” the IMD said.“The weather is expected to become more severe on Tuesday, when Cyclone Kalbishakhi will bring winds of 50-60 kmph, lightning and rain is likely to affect Kolkata and adjoining areas.”
