2 min readMar 25, 2026 09:58 PM IST
Kolkata Knight Riders have named fast-bowler Navdeep Saini as a replacement for the injured Harshit Rana for the Indian Premier League 2026, while Gujarat Titans have picked Kulwant Khejroliya in place of Prithviraj Yarra.
Rana was ruled out of the entire IPL 2026 after suffering a ligament strain in his right knee during India’s T20 World Cup warm-up game against South Africa. He underwent surgery in February and is currently undergoing an extensive rehabilitation process.
Saini has 23 wickets in 32 IPL matches under his belt, in addition to 23 wickets in international cricket for India. The right-arm pacer joined KKR for INR 75 lakh.
“It feels very good to be a Knight Rider,” said an elated Saini to the KKR Knight Club. “I got to know last night. I didn’t know how to react,” he said.
Raw pace added to the Knights’ arsenal 💜🔥
Glad to have you join us, Navdeep ⚡ pic.twitter.com/KODibQJpqb
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 25, 2026
Saini said he was manifesting his comeback in the IPL. “I knew one thing, that I was putting in the effort, doing hard work. With how things were going on with me, I kind of planned it; you can say it was manifested. It’s important to have faith in God. When I heard the news… mazze toh aaye! (I enjoyed it).”
When asked what this opportunity means to him, he said, “I can call it a revival for me. There have been a lot of ups and downs in my cricketing journey in the last two to three years, but it’s important to stay at it. Keep working hard. I’ve only known to put in hard work ever since the start, and I continue to do so.”
Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Khejroliya, who has six IPL wickets to his name, has been acquired by GT for INR 30 lakh. Khejroliya has previously featured for GT, KKR, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
