KKR Faces Bowling Crisis Ahead of IPL 2026

Kolkata Knight Riders' Bowling Woes

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are currently grappling with a significant challenge in their bowling lineup due to the unavailability of Harshit Rana and Matheesha Pathirana for IPL 2026.

Harshit Rana has been sidelined for the entire season following a ligament injury to his right knee, while Matheesha Pathirana is still awaiting clearance from Sri Lanka Cricket to join the KKR squad.

Recent reports indicate that Akash Deep has also been absent from the KKR training camp in Kolkata since March 18.

A senior official from the franchise confirmed to a sports news outlet that Akash Deep has been ruled out for the IPL season due to injury.

The specifics surrounding Akash's injury are not fully known, but he is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

There has been ongoing communication between the CoE staff and KKR regarding his recovery status, as reported.

When questioned about Harshit Rana, KKR's head coach Abhishek Nayar suggested that a replacement for the right-arm medium-fast bowler might be considered. He mentioned that the management would assess their options once they receive updates from the CoE.

Akash Deep, who was part of the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025, was acquired by KKR for his base price of Rs 1 crore during the mini-auctions held in Abu Dhabi last year.