Kolkata Knight Riders’ fast bowling duo of Harshit Rana and Akash Deep are likely to be unfit for India’s upcoming England tour and Afghanistan series as well. This remains a matter of great concern for the Indian team.
India will be on England tour after facing Afghanistan in the home series. They will then head to England for a lengthy white-ball series, consisting of several ODIs and T20Is against the Men in Blue, as they prepare for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2027.
Two fast bowlers Harshit Rana and Akash Deep ruled out of upcoming tours of India
Two fast bowlers who were part of the Kolkata Knight Riders camp in IPL 2026, Harshit Rana and Akash Deep, have missed the entire season for the Knight Riders. He is not match-fit yet, and some reports in PTI have claimed that he is still not match-fit and may miss the upcoming two tours.
Currently, Akash Deep is recovering from a back injury, while Harshit Rana, on the other hand, has undergone knee surgery after suffering a ligament tear, due to which he has also been ruled out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
“Akash and Harshit’s rehabilitation is on track but there is still a long way to go before they are released to play matches. If we are talking about Afghanistan and Britain tour, then there is no possibility of both of them being fit before that.
“They are still doing strengthening routines. After that there will be jogging, strides, sprints and then skills related to the ‘Return to Play’ (RTP) protocol,” a BCCI source tracking the development told PTI.
Akash Deep to be ruled out of another home Test series for India
Bengal fast bowler Akash Deep played for the team in the domestic season but then missed the entire season for Kolkata Knight Riders. He has been a prospect for the Indian red-ball team.
India’s red-ball match against Afghanistan in the one-off Test series is important from the point of view of players like Akash Deep, because, many senior players will not be a part of this series as this match is after the IPL 2026 competition and is also not a part of the World Test Championship.
According to the latest reports, Akashdeep is likely to take more time than Harshit Rana for his recovery and the Duleep Trophy seems to be a more realistic chance for his comeback this season.
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