On Wednesday, fast bowler Navdeep Saini took Harshit Rana’s spot in the Kolkata Knight Riders lineup ahead of the IPL starting March 28. Though both play pace bowling and come from Delhi’s domestic circuit, their paths diverged recently. While Rana had a surgical procedure on his knee last month – missing the T20 World Cup victory by India – the recovery timeline kept him sidelined. The league office confirmed the update directly: “Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Gujarat Titans (GT) have named Navdeep Saini and Kulwant Khejroliya as substitutes for players unavailable during TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.” Details arrived through an official note issued by the tournament body itself
Khejroliya Joins Gujarat Titans Replacing Yarra.
Twenty-three wickets have fallen to Saini across 32 IPL games, while he’s also taken another 23 on the world stage for India. Joining KKR comes at a price of Rs 75 lakh.
“Meanwhile, Khejroliya replaces the injured Prithviraj Yarra in GT. The left-arm pacer, who has six IPL wickets to his name, has previously featured for GT, KKR, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He will join GT for Rs 30 lakh,” added the IPL statement
Kolkata Knight Riders Team for IPL 2026
Ajinkya Rahane leads the group. Following him is Angkrish Raghuvanshi, stepping in with quiet focus. Anukul Roy brings balance from the middle. Then comes Navdeep Saini, known for sharp turns on flat tracks. Manish Pandey holds steady experience at crucial moments. Ramandeep Singh adds energy through brisk runs. Rinku Singh stays calm under rising pressure. Rovman Powell swings hard when space opens up. Sunil Narine hides surprises in every over. Umran Malik pushes speed limits without slowing down. Vaibhav Arora works quietly at the edges. Varun Chakaravarthy spins puzzles more than just deliveries. Cameron Green moves like a shadow across fields. Finn Allen watches gaps closely before acting. Matheesha Pathirana glides late into key phases. Tejasvi Singh reaches out with raw intent. Kartik Tyagi strikes fast once settled. Prashant Solanki follows patterns others miss. Rahul Tripathi builds rhythm slowly but surely. Tim Seifert stands firm behind quick exchanges. Sarthak Ranjan waits patiently for his turn. Daksh Kamra learns quickly between overs. Rachin Ravindra reads angles better than most. Akash Deep carries weight beyond years. Blessing Muzarabani closes tight ends efficiently.
Gujarat Titans Team for IPL 2026
Shubman Gill captain Sai Sudharsan Kumar Kushagra Anuj Rawat Jos Buttler Nishant Sindhu Washington Sundar Glenn Phillips Arshad Khan Shahrukh Khan Rahul Tewatia Kagiso Rabada Mohammed Siraj Prasidh Krishna Ishant Sharma Gurnoor Singh Brar Rashid Khan Manav Suthar Sai Kishore Jayant Yadav Ashok Sharma Jason Holder Tom Banton Kulwant Khejroliya Luke Wood
