Indian fast bowler Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the upcoming Afghanistan T20Is and Asian Games after suffering a rectus femoris strain, with Yash Thakur drafted as his replacement.
The setback occurred on 7 September at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, raising further questions regarding the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes at the Bengaluru facility.
Rana sustained the muscular issue while bowling in a practice match, halting what appeared to be steady recovery progress.
This latest problem compounds a frustrating timeline of fitness troubles. He previously missed the 2026 Indian Premier League following knee surgery and broke down with a hamstring complaint against England.
Yash Thakur Drafted Into Pace Attack
Vidarbha seamer Thakur joins the setup following his international debut in Zimbabwe, where he claimed four wickets across two appearances.
A statement via India Today confirmed: “The Men’s Selection Committee has named Yash Thakur as a replacement for Harshit Rana in India’s squads for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan and the 2026 Asian Games,”
Jasprit Bumrah has passed his fitness assessment and will feature in the three-match Afghanistan series starting on 13 September.
These squad adjustments arrive as board executives focus on naming squads for Australia A and finalising Asian Games accommodation logistics for the upcoming tournament in Nagoya.
