Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy ruled out of England T20Is with hamstring injuries
Synopsis
India's T20I campaign in England has taken a serious injury hit — seam-bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana and wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy are both out for the series after picking up hamstring injuries at Trent Bridge. With Pandya and Reddy also sidelined, India's pace resources for the ODI series starting 14 July are looking dangerously thin.
Key Takeaways
Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy ruled out of the 4th and 5th T20Is against England with hamstring injuries.
Both sustained the injuries during the third T20I at Trent Bridge , confirmed by the BCCI Medical Team .
Prasidh Krishna and Washington Sundar replace them in the playing eleven for the Bristol match on 9 July .
Rana is likely to miss the three-match ODI series starting 14 July at Edgbaston ; Prince Yadav is reportedly in contention as cover.
Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy are also unavailable for the ODIs due to leg and quadriceps injuries respectively.
Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy have been ruled out of the remainder of India's T20I series against England due to hamstring injuries sustained in the third match at Trent Bridge, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on 9 July. The announcement came shortly before the toss for the fourth T20I at the County Ground, Bristol, where India elected to bat first in a must-win fixture.
BCCI Confirms the Injuries
The BCCI issued an official statement confirming both players are unavailable for the 4th and 5th T20Is. 'Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy sustained hamstring injuries in the third T20I against England at Trent Bridge. The BCCI Medical Team has assessed them and ruled them out of the 4th and 5th T20Is,' the board said.
Injury History Behind Both Absences
Rana had only recently returned to the Indian setup after a knee injury requiring surgery sidelined him during India's victorious T20 World Cup campaign and throughout IPL 2026. His latest setback is a significant blow given how limited his opportunities have been. Chakaravarthy, meanwhile, had already missed India's 2-0 T20I series defeat in Ireland while undergoing foot injury rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. The wrist-spinner was only just back in full fitness before this fresh hamstring concern emerged.
Replacements Step In for Bristol
With both players unavailable, pacer Prasidh Krishna and off-spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar have been drafted into India's playing eleven for the fourth game. The duo's inclusion reshapes India's bowling attack at a critical stage of the series.
ODI Series Also Under a Cloud
The injury concern extends beyond the T20Is. Rana is now likely to miss the subsequent three-match ODI series against England, which begins on 14 July at Edgbaston, Birmingham, with further games in Cardiff on 16 July and at Lord's on 19 July. This compounds an already stretched pace-bowling resources situation for the Shubman Gill-led ODI side, with Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy also unavailable due to leg and quadriceps injuries respectively. Fast bowler Prince Yadav, who has been a standout performer on the tour, is reportedly in the frame to fill Rana's role in the ODI squad. Notably, this is not the first time India have had to reshuffle their seam-bowling options mid-tour — a pattern that raises questions about workload management across formats.
Point of View
Chakaravarthy, Pandya, and Reddy all unavailable simultaneously, the depth of India's pace and power-hitting bench is being stress-tested in real time. Rana's repeated injury recurrences since his knee surgery deserve closer scrutiny around workload protocols. More broadly, the BCCI's practice of cycling players across T20Is, ODIs, and IPL within compressed windows is catching up — and England, historically adept at exploiting thin touring squads, will be watching the injury list as closely as the scorecard.
NationPress
9 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy out of the England T20I series?
Both players sustained hamstring injuries during the third T20I against England at Trent Bridge. The BCCI Medical Team assessed them and ruled them out of the 4th and 5th T20Is.
Who replaces Rana and Chakaravarthy in the fourth T20I at Bristol?
Pacer Prasidh Krishna and off-spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar have been included in the playing eleven in their place for the fourth T20I at the County Ground, Bristol.
Will Harshit Rana play in the ODI series against England?
Rana is likely to miss the three-match ODI series against England, which begins on 14 July at Edgbaston. Fast bowler Prince Yadav is reportedly being considered as his replacement in the Shubman Gill-led squad.
What is India's overall injury situation ahead of the ODI series?
India are facing a significant injury crisis, with Harshit Rana, Hardik Pandya, and Nitish Kumar Reddy all unavailable — due to hamstring, leg, and quadriceps injuries respectively — ahead of the ODI series starting 14 July.
Where are the remaining England ODIs being played?
The three-match ODI series opens at Edgbaston in Birmingham on 14 July, followed by matches in Cardiff on 16 July and at Lord's on 19 July.
