Argus News - Mohammed Siraj Likely Replacement as Harshit Rana Ruled Out Of T20 World Cup

Mumbai, Feb 6: India fast bowler Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the ICC T20 World Cup due to injury, and Mohammed Siraj is set to replace him in the squad, multiple media reports read on Friday.

The team management was informed of Rana’s condition on Thursday evening. Although captain Suryakumar Yadav had said earlier that the pacer had not been officially ruled out, sources later confirmed that Rana would not recover in time to feature in the tournament.

“Harshit Rana hasn’t been ruled out yet, physios are assessing him but he doesn’t look good,” Yadav said at a pre-match news conference ahead of India’s World Cup opener against the United States.

When asked about the impact of Rana’s absence, Yadav said it would affect team balance.

“It’s a big blow because of the combination we make, keeping in mind 15 players. If he misses out, we will definitely miss him. We have enough options. We shall look at the replacements of fast bowlers who are there. We shall pick the best one,” he said.

Rana sustained the injury during a warm-up match against South Africa. The Delhi pacer appeared uncomfortable during his spell and pulled out of his delivery stride twice in a single over. He was later seen clutching his knee before leaving the field.

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He bowled one over in the match, conceding 16 runs, before walking off and taking no further part in the game.

An official announcement on his replacement is expected later in the day.