Harshit Rana’s T20 World Cup Participation in Doubt Following Thigh Injury

During the warm-up match in Navi Mumbai on February 4, Rana bowled just one over before leaving the field due to a thigh niggle. Later, he was seen with a strapped thigh, raising concerns over his availability. “He is not ruled out yet,” Suryakumar said. “He's being assessed by the physios. But I think, today we'll know what's going to happen. But it doesn't look good, it's not that great.”

While Rana offers batting depth at No. 8, India have contingency plans in place, with Axar Patel expected to fill that position if required, and Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh covering the pace-bowling department.

Team Confident Despite Injury Concern

Suryakumar reassured fans about the team’s depth, stating, "Don't worry, we have 11 players for tomorrow. But it's a big blow obviously, because you make a squad of 15 players with a lot of combinations in mind. So we made it with the same thought. And if he is not available for us going forward, then we will set other combinations; however can we do it. But we have enough players, enough combinations, which we can make against all the teams for this tournament. But if we miss him, we will definitely miss him."

Rana, 24, had played three of five T20Is in the recent home series against New Zealand, which India won 4-1. His boundary-laden 52 off 43 balls in the third ODI highlighted his potential as a No. 8 hitter.

Replacement Plans and Squad Balance

India have not named reserve players for this home T20 World Cup, but Suryakumar confirmed that if Rana is ruled out, a replacement would be considered, preferably a batsman, though not mandatory. "We will see which fast bowlers have done really well for the last one or two years," Suryakumar added. "And which bowler can bat as well. But there is no hard-and-fast rule that he has to bat. Because if you are expecting someone at No. 9 or 10 to come and hit a six, then what do you have the top eight for? But we will see who to pick. We do have a few options, but we will pick the best one."