Fast bowler Harshit Rana has been added to India’s ODI squad for the third and final match of the ongoing bilateral series against Afghanistan. India have already secured an unassailable 2-0 lead, with the final ODI set to be played in Chennai on Saturday.
Rana had suffered a knee injury while playing in a warm-up fixture against South Africa in Mumbai ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The injury ruled him out of the entire tournament, which India went on to win by defeating New Zealand in the final.
Mohammed Siraj was drafted in as Rana’s last-minute replacement and featured in India’s opening match of the competition. He claimed three wickets in the team’s 29-run victory over the USA.
The injury also forced Rana to miss the entire IPL
2026 season, where he was due to represent three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders. The franchise signed right-arm pacer Navdeep Saini as his replacement for the tournament.
“Rana, who has completed his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE), has linked up with the ODI squad in Chennai,” the BCCI said in a statement on Friday morning.
The 24-year-old has played 14 ODIs for India, taking 16 wickets at an average of 27.38 and an economy rate of 6.21. His last competitive appearance came during the home T20I series against New Zealand in January this year.
Rana has also been named in India’s squad for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, where the team is scheduled to play seven T20Is.
India are also set to face England in a three-match ODI series, with the squad for that assignment to be announced later.
India’s updated squad for the third ODI: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Harshit Rana
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