India fast bowler Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the three-match ODI series against England, set to begin on July 14. Rana, who returned to action after spending four months on the sidelines following a knee injury sustained ahead of the T20 World Cup, has been ruled out once again after injuring his hamstring during the T20I leg of the tour.
Rana played five matches after returning from his four-month layoff. He bowled a total of just 14 overs before suffering another injury. India Today has learnt that Rana has been asked to report to the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Sources tell India Today that Harshit Rana’s has a Grade 1 tear in his biceps femoris muscle. The latest setback comes at a time when the young pacer was looking to rebuild his place in the Indian team after what has already been a frustrating year. Rana is one of players earmarked for the next two World Cups in South Africa and Australia, but his injuries keep pegging him back from reaching his potential.
HARSHIT RANA’S INJURY CRISIS
The 24-year-old had suffered a knee injury just ahead of the T20 World Cup earlier this year, forcing him to miss the marquee tournament. Rana was expected to be Jasprit Bumrah’s primary fast-bowling partner during India’s title defence, but the injury ruled him out before the tournament even began.
What was initially expected to be a short spell on the sidelines eventually turned into a four-month rehabilitation. The injury proved to be more serious than first anticipated, with Rana also missing the entire IPL 2026 season.
He eventually returned to competitive cricket during India’s T20I series against Ireland, making his comeback after four months away from the game. However, his return has been short-lived.
Rana featured in five T20Is across the Ireland and England series, but managed to bowl only 14 overs before suffering a hamstring injury. The fast bowler was subsequently ruled out of the fourth and fifth T20Is against England and has now also been withdrawn from the three-match ODI series.
The latest injury is another blow for an Indian side that has struggled with fitness issues during the England tour. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy had also been ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series with a similar hamstring injury, leaving the team management with limited bowling options during the closing stages of the tour.
For Rana, the focus now shifts back to recovery. The pacer will undergo assessment at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where the BCCI medical team will determine the extent of the hamstring injury and chalk out his rehabilitation programme before deciding on a timeline for his return.
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