3 months ago
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Young India speedster Harshit Rana was connected Friday (February 6, 2026) ruled retired of the T20 World Cup owing to a genu injury, with Mohammed Siraj being named arsenic his replacement.
Rana had sustained the wounded successful a warm-up crippled present earlier this week with skipper Suryakumar Yadav admitting that helium was "not looking good".
"Siraj, who has played 45 Tests, 50 ODIs and 16 T20Is, was named arsenic a replacement aft Rana was ruled retired with an wounded to his close genu that was sustained during the warm-up crippled against South Africa connected 4 February," the ICC said successful a media merchandise precocious connected Friday (February 6).
Earlier, Suryakumar's admittance was an denotation capable that caput manager Gautam Gambhir's 24-year-old protege was improbable to retrieve successful clip to play immoderate of the matches, starting with the lung-opener against the USA connected Saturday (February 7).
"Harshit Rana has not been ruled retired yet, the physios are assessing him but helium does not look good," Suryakumar said astatine the pre-match property conference.
The Indian captain, however, tried to marque airy of the setback.
"Don't worry, we person 11 players for tomorrow. But it evidently would beryllium a large stroke due to the fact that you marque a squad of 15 aft a batch of thought and helium was included aft immoderate thought process," said Suryakumar.
"But if helium is not disposable going forward, we volition past acceptable antithetic combinations. We person capable players and combinations against each teams that we tin person for this tourney but if we miss him (for not being available), we volition decidedly miss him," helium added.
Rana could vessel lone 1 implicit successful the warm-up crippled against South Africa successful which helium conceded 16 runs and past hobbled disconnected the tract with a genu injury.
Although Rana is not a archetypal eleven certainty with an system complaint of 10.60 successful 9 T20Is, helium surely would person been a useful inclusion successful circumstantial conditions. He is besides a utile lower-order hitter.
All-rounder Washington Sundar is already looking doubtful with a broadside strain and rib musculus tear.
"We volition spot which (other) accelerated bowlers person done truly good for the past 1 oregon 2 years oregon if determination is immoderate bowler who tin bat arsenic well," Suryakumar said of disposable options.
"But determination is nary hard and accelerated regularisation that helium tin bat, due to the fact that if you are expecting idiosyncratic astatine No.9 oregon No.10 to travel retired and deed a six, past what are the different 8 (players) doing earlier him? We volition see, we bash person a fewer options but we volition prime the champion one," helium added.
