Mumbai, February 7: The Event Technical Committee (ETC) for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has approved the inclusion of experienced pacer Mohammad Siraj in the Indian team, replacing Harshit Rana. Rana was sidelined due to a knee injury sustained during a warm-up match against South Africa on February 4.
Mohammad Siraj has played 45 Tests, 50 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 16 T20 matches for India. He was selected as a replacement after Rana’s injury.
Approval from the Event Technical Committee (ETC) is essential for any player replacement, allowing the player to be officially included in the team.
The ETC for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 includes Wasim Khan (ICC General Manager–Cricket, ICC representative), Gaurav Saxena (IBC representative), Hemang Amin (host representative), and Shaun Pollock (independent representative).
Reports indicated that Siraj was the frontrunner to replace Rana due to his injury, although Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy were also considered. Ultimately, the Indian team management opted for the seasoned Siraj.
Siraj was part of the team that won the T20 World Cup in 2024. Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna was the highest wicket-taker in IPL 2025 and has played five T20 matches for India, all in 2023.
Rana, who has played nine T20 matches for India, was injured during the warm-up match against South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. He was seen limping off the field after bowling just one over.
In recent months, Rana has shown potential by utilizing a long handle and adding depth to India’s batting lineup.