Defending champions India have been handed yet another fitness concern just two days before they kick-start their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. During their only warm-up match of the tournament at the DY Patil Stadium last night, pacer Harshit Rana was compelled to leave the ground after bowling just one over, during which he conceded 16 runs.

 

Rana had to stop his run-up twice during the over and was later seen clutching his knee as he walked off the field. India eventually won the high-scoring match by 30 runs.

 

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  Rana's Contribution to Team India

 

Notably, India, in the last two years, has been looking at Harshit Rana as an all-format player. In many cases, he was even the first-choice bowler in the T20I setup, ahead of Arshdeep Singh. However, Rana is the latest player in the Indian T20 World Cup squad to have fitness issues, following earlier concerns for all-rounder Washington Sundar and the recent return to fitness of Tilak Varma, who had abdominal surgery last month.

 

Notably, there has been no official word from the BCCI regarding Rana’s fitness.

 

Recently, the team has been testing his batting and promoting him up the order, and Rana did not disappoint. He scored a fifty, however, on the losing side. 

 

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  Other Players who suffered injury ahead of the tournament

 

India will begin their title defense against the USA on February 8 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The co-hosts are already worried about the fitness of Washington Sundar, who suffered a rib injury during the ODI series against New Zealand and has not played since then, although he is still a part of the team.

 

Tilak Varma, on the other hand, seems to be completely fit and played in the warm-up match, hitting a 19-ball 45 with three fours and some sixes to help India reach 240/6. Opener Ishan Kishan also looked impressive with a quick 53 off 20 balls before retiring out, while Abhishek Sharma scored a quick 24 off 18 balls before doing the same.

 

Captain Suryakumar Yadav had as many as nine bowlers, including part-timers Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, as South Africa reached 210/7 in their 20 overs. It is noteworthy that the pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, did not take the field.