Kolkata Knight Riders are confronting a growing crisis in their pace department ahead of IPL 2026, with another setback further weakening their options before the tournament begins. Akash Deep has now been ruled out for the entire season, adding to the team’s mounting list of unavailable fast bowlers. A senior representative from the franchise has confirmed the development, a week before the forthcoming season.
"Unfortunately, he is out of the IPL, ruled out for the season,” the representative told Cricbuzz.
The 29-year-old was bought at his base price of Rs 1 crore during the mini-auction. However, he didn’t join the squad for practice, which was assembled in Kolkata on March 18. As per the latest development, the Bengal pacer is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, though specific details regarding his injury have not been disclosed. However, he is expected to miss out at least three months, following a rigorous Ranji Trophy season.
Notably, persistent injury concerns have disrupted Akash Deep’s career in recent years. Since making his IPL debut in 2022, he has played only 14 matches across four seasons, picking up 10 wickets. He was part of Lucknow Super Giants last season after being signed for Rs 8 crore but did not continue with the side beyond that campaign.
Update on Harshit Rana and Matheesha Pathirana
The latest development leaves the team management with limited choices as they assess possible replacements. Even before this update, there had been hesitation around naming a substitute for Harshit Rana, who is sidelined following knee surgery. The belief within the setup had been that finding a comparable replacement would be difficult. Head coach Abhishek Nayar had recently indicated that a decision on replacements could be imminent.
"Hopefully soon, in a couple of days I think. Obviously Harshit is with the BCCI at the CoE. Once we get an update the medical team will communicate to us. We'll try to evaluate what we are picking before we make the announcement. (We) will take us a few more days, most probably before we leave for Mumbai,” Nayar said in the press conference.
Compounding concerns is uncertainty around Matheesha Pathirana’s availability, as he awaits clearance from Sri Lanka Cricket and may miss part of the season regardless. At present, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, and Kartik Tyagi form the core of the Indian pace unit, with all-rounder Cameron Green also an option to contribute overs if required.
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