Harshit Rana (Image credit: KKR) NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders’ star paceman Harshit Rana may miss IPL 2026 due to his ongoing recovery from knee surgery, but the youngster has made sure to support his team from the stands. The 24-year-old will attend the KKR vs Punjab Kings clash on Monday and will support his side.“Look who’s here to support the Knights tonight. Harshit Rana is in Kolkata spending the day with his KKR family,” the franchise posted on its official social media pages, clarifying that the youngster is only in the city to support the team and spend time with his teammates.Rana has already been ruled out of IPL 2026 as he continues to recover from the knee surgery he underwent in February. KKR brought in Indian pacer Navdeep Saini as his replacement in the team.The injury also forced Rana to withdraw from the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. He suffered a knee injury during a warm-up match against the South Africa national cricket team in Navi Mumbai on 4 February 2026 when he pulled out after bowling just one.He subsequently underwent surgery and was replaced by Mohammed Siraj as India went on to host the 2026 T20 World Cup.Despite the setback, Rana was honored with the Best International Debutant award at the BCCI awards in New Delhi last month. He attended the ceremony on crutches and IPL Chairman Arun Singh Dhumal came down from the stage to present him with the award.
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Devdutt Padikkal press conference: Chinnaswamy’s pitch, Tim David’s strength and RCB’s batting strategyKKR go into the competition under pressure having lost their opening two matches of IPL 2026 against Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad.KKR are still looking for their first points and may face another weather hurdle when they take on Punjab Kings on Monday.According to the IMD weather bulletin, there is a high chance that the match will be affected by rain, which could lead to a shortened contest.With another match against Lucknow Super Giants at the same venue – a match that also carries a forecast of rain – weather concerns could further add to KKR’s early season woes.According to the IMD, there is persistent cloud cover since morning following a “low pressure trough extending from Bihar to Manipur across North Bengal, Assam and Bangladesh”.“The state is likely to witness another round of Kalbaishachi storms, with the possibility of hail and thunderstorms from Sunday to Thursday. The intensity and distribution of rains is expected to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday,” the IMD said.“The weather is expected to worsen on Tuesday when Kalbaishakhi storm accompanied by winds of 50-60 kmph, lightning and rain is likely to hit Kolkata and adjoining areas.”
