Rana was forced to leave the field after throwing just one in the practice match, awkwardly holding his knee. He was later seen with his thigh taped, and Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted on Saturday ahead of the tournament opener that the injury did not look good.
Siraj will now join India’s pace attack alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, who are expected to be the fastest in the frontline. Hardik Pandya will continue his role as a bowling all-rounder while Shivam Dube could contribute with a few overs if required.
Siraj was part of India’s title-winning T20 World Cup team in 2024 but had limited impact, taking just one wicket in three matches at an average of 57, with an economy rate of 5.18. He was replaced by Arshdeep Singh during the final stages of the tournament. The right-arm pacer has not played a T20I since July 2024 and has played a total of 16 matches, claiming 14 wickets at an average of 32.28.
Siraj is unlikely to be included in the Indian XI as the bowling combination seems settled. India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against the United States of America on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The co-hosts have been placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Namibia, the US and the Netherlands.
In another development, Sri Lanka were also forced into a squad change, with Eshan Malinga ruled out of the tournament due to a shoulder injury sustained during the T20I series against England on February 1. Pramod Madushan has been appointed as his replacement. Madushan has represented Sri Lanka in 13 ODIs and eight T20Is.
Get every cricket update! Follow us:
#T20 #World #Cup #Mohammed #Siraj #replaces #injured #Harshit #Rana #Indian #squad