Kolkata Knight Riders have roped in Navdeep Saini as Harshit Rana’s replacement for IPL 2026. Rana was earlier ruled out of the tournament after suffering a ligament strain in his right knee during the T20 World Cup, further depleting KKR’s bowling attack. Akash Deep and Matheesha Pathirana are also injured while Mustafizur Rahman has been left out of the squad.
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Saini, who took 77 wickets in 87 T20s, including one four-wicket haul, said he only found out last night that KKR had picked him and was overwhelmed by the news. The speedster said he always believed that his hard work would pay off, adding that he was presented with an opportunity and that his faith in God made the moment even more special.
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“I found out last night, and the moment I found out, I honestly didn’t know how to react. But somewhere, I always felt that with the hard work and effort I put in, something like this was bound to happen,” Saini told the Knight Club.
“In a way, you could say it was already in my mind – almost like manifesting it, to be honest. I knew it would happen one day, but the most important thing is to keep faith in God. That’s exactly what I did and when it finally happened, it was really amazing,” added Saini.
IPL CAREER OF NAVDEEP SAINI IN BRIEF
Saini has returned to the IPL for the first time since 2023. He brings valuable experience to KKR despite not playing regularly in recent seasons. The right-arm pacer made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2019 after being first picked by Delhi Daredevils in 2017 and quickly earned a reputation for his raw pace and striking bowling.
In his IPL career so far, Saini has appeared in 32 matches and taken 23 wickets at an economy rate of 8.88. He spent the initial part of his IPL journey with RCB before moving to Rajasthan Royals where he made his last appearance in the league in 2023.
He was bought by Rajasthan for INR 2.60 crore in the 2024 auction, but went unsold before IPL 2026 before KKR suggested him as a replacement. His inclusion gives the franchise the option of an experienced Indian pacer amid an injury-hit bowling attack.
The Knights, who failed to qualify for the play-offs last season, are set to begin their campaign against five-time champions Mumbai Indians on March 29 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
25 March 2026 20:14 IST
