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Akash Deep became KKR's third injury concern after Hashit Rana and Sri Lankan Matheesha Pathirana. While Rana in all likely is to be ruled out of IPL 2026, Pathirana will miss a few initial games, as confirmed by head coach Abhishek Nayar.
There seems to be no ending to Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) injury woes as India pacer Akash Deep has been ruled out of the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with an injury. The right-arm fast bowler thus became the second bowler after Harshit Rana is also believed to take no part in the tournament. An official confirmation is awaited.
Based on a Cricbuzz report, a top KKR official confirmed Akash Deep's unavailability for IPL 2026. "Unfortunately, he is out of the IPL, ruled out for the season," the KKR official said. After playing limited matches for Lucknow Super Giants last year due to injury, Akash Deep impressed everyone with his performances in England for India in the Test series.
Following that, the Bengal pacer was picked up by the three-time champions for ₹1 crore at the last year's mini-auction in Abu Dhabi. Akash Deep hasn't reported to the KKR camp in Kolkata at Eden Gardens which started on March 18. The report added that the 29-year-old is at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, undergoing rehabilitation.
However, the extent of Akash Deep's injury is yet to be known. Akash Deep has been plagued by injuries al through his India and IPL career. In four seasons so far, Akash Deep played just 14 games since his debut in 2022 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and claimed just 10 wickets.
Matheesha Pathirana to miss initial games
Earlier on Friday, KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar informed that Sri Lankan recruit Matheesha Pathirana will miss the early stages of IPL. Pathirana, who was snapped up by KKR for ₹18 crore at the auction, injured himself in a group stage match against Australia in T20 World Cup 2026.
He is undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain and under the supervision of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). "The latest update that we know is he's obviously with the Sri Lankan cricket board and they took out his rehab. And the latest communication that we've had is, hopefully, somewhere mid-April is when they feel he'll be match fit. That's what we know as of now," Nayar said.
Earlier, KKR has replaced Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman with Zimbabwean Blessing Muzarabani following the latter's terrific T20 World Cup 2026. Mustafizur, who was bought by KKR in the auction for RS 9.20 crore, was removed from IPL due to political tensions between two nations.
KKR's IPL 2026 schedule in first phase
KKR are set to kick their IPL 2026 campaign against the Mumbai Indians on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The three-time champions will then face Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 2 at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, before facing off against last year's finalists, Punjab Kings, on April 6, also at Eden Gardens. In their fourth IPL match, KKR will face Lucknow Super Giants on April 9 at Eden Gardens.
KKR's IPL 2026 full squad
Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Tejasvi Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Blessing Muzarabani, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep.
About the Author
Koushik Paul
Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.
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