Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026

February 6, 2026:  India’s pacer Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. The selection committee is likely to name a replacement on the evening of February 6, according to reports. India will start their campaign against the United States of America (USA) on February 7 at the famous Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The team was informed of the pacer’s injury on the evening of February 5. Even though India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, said the all-rounder was not completely ruled out yet, it is almost certain that the fast bowler will not be fit to play in the World Cup.

“It is a big blow because of the combination we make with 15 players. If he misses out, we will definitely miss him. But we have other options. We will look at the fast bowlers who can replace him and pick the best one. I know Harshit bats at number 9, but the first 8 batsmen will have to do their job,” Suryakumar Yadav said before their opening match.

🚨 A BIG BLOW FOR INDIA. 🚨

- Harshit Rana likely to be ruled out of the T20 World Cup. pic.twitter.com/MsxeZ8vQTz

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 6, 2026

Mohammad Siraj and Nitish Reddy Likely to Replace Rana

Harshit Rana had to leave the field during India’s warm-up match against South Africa as he was not in full rhythm. His discomfort became clear when he could not complete his run-up and had to stop his delivery a few times in one over.

Siraj, who has taken 14 wickets in 16 T20Is for India and played his last T20I two years ago against Sri Lanka, is expected to be selected. He performed well in the SMAT 2025/26 for Hyderabad.

Washington Sundar’s Fitness Key for India’s Balance

Washington Sundar is also running out of time to be fully fit for the World Cup 2026. If he cannot recover, India may pick Nitish Reddy as a replacement. Reddy has played four T20Is and scored 90 runs at a strike rate of 180.

If Sundar fails to recover, India could continue with Ravi Bishnoi as a spin option or use more all-rounders. The squad already has Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Abhishek Sharma, and Shivam Dube, giving India good balance.

India’s Squad For T20 World Cup 2026:

Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh

(Image Source -BCCI)