In a devastating update for Kolkata Knight Riders, promising pacer Aakash Deep will miss IPL 2026 entirely. The INR 1 crore buy from the mini-auction last year joins a growing list of injured fast bowlers, dealing a heavy punch to the team’s ambitions as the league starts March 28.
An insider from the franchise verified to media outlets that Deep hasn’t even begun rehab at BCCI’s Bengaluru facility, confirming his unavailability. His absence was stark during the pre-season camp from March 18 and the intra-squad game at Eden Gardens.
The injury likely occurred in Bengal’s Ranji semi-final versus Jammu & Kashmir in mid-February at Kalyani, affecting his left heel. This comes at a time when KKR’s pace attack is already depleted.
Harshit Rana remains out post-surgery on his meniscus, and Matheesha Pathirana’s shoulder troubles from the T20 World Cup linger, pending national board approval. Facing MI in their opener at Wankhede on March 29, KKR must rethink its bowling strategy.
Current pacers include Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Blessing Muzarabani, and Kartik Tyagi, supported by bowling all-rounders Cameron Green and Rammadip Singh. To address the gaps, KKR is holding trials featuring Navdeep Saini, Akash Madhwal, Simarjeet Singh, Sandeep Warrior, KM Asif, and Sunil Kumar.
The situation underscores the fragility of IPL squads amid injury crises. KKR’s management is moving swiftly with trials, aiming to unearth talent that can deliver under pressure. How they rebuild will define their campaign’s success.