India’s fast bowlers Akash Deep and Harshit Rana are unlikely to be ready for the upcoming home series against Afghanistan and the white-ball tour of the United Kingdom. According to sources in the BCCI, both players still need more time before they can return to full match fitness.
How Akash Deep and Harshit Rana got injured?
Akash Deep is currently recovering from a back injury, while Harshit Rana recently went through knee surgery after a ligament tear just before the T20 World Cup in India. Because of these injuries, both players have missed the ongoing IPL season with Kolkata Knight Riders.
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"Akash and Harshit's rehabilitation is on track but there is still a long way to go before they can be released to play matches. If we are talking about Afghanistan and the UK tour, there is no chance of both of them getting fit before that. They are still doing strengthening routines. After that there will be jogging, strides, sprints and then skills associated with 'Return To Play' (RTP) protocols," as quoted by PTI.
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When will Akash Deep and Harshit Rana feature for India?
Akash Deep is mainly seen as a red-ball bowler, while Harshit Rana is an important option for India in the ODI and T20I formats. In 2025, Harshit was India’s most successful ODI bowler, taking 26 wickets in 14 matches. Harshit Rana, who was part of India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad, got injured before the tournament opener during the team's training sessions.
Akash Deep’s biggest highlight so far came last year against England in Birmingham, where he picked up 12 wickets in a single match during the Anderson-Tendulkar series.
People close to the team believe that Akash Deep may take even longer than Rana to return to competitive cricket. As things stand, both players are more likely to target a comeback during the Duleep Trophy, which is expected to begin the domestic season in August.