India pacer Harshit Rana has reportedly come under scrutiny over his fitness after returning from a knee injury, with concerns that being overweight may have contributed to the hamstring injury that ruled him out of the ongoing ODI series against England. The 24-year-old picked up the hamstring issue during the third T20I at Trent Bridge and subsequently missed the remaining two matches of the series.
Rana had previously spent several months on the sidelines after sustaining a knee injury during India’s warm-up fixture against South Africa ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 in Navi Mumbai. The setback forced him to miss the IPL 2026season as well as the home white-ball series against Afghanistan before he made his comeback on the tour of Ireland.
However, another injury shortly after his return has reportedly raised concerns within the BCCIregarding his fitness standards. Reports suggest Rana gained weight during his rehabilitation despite completing the ‘Return to Play’ process at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, and was not in ideal physical condition when he resumed international cricket.
“Harshit is a very important member of this team going into the 2027 World Cup. He is being looked at as a potential number eight batter along with his 140-click average speed. But he has to be mindful about his fitness routine.”
“Recently, when he joined the team, he was found to be overweight. For someone, who bowls fast, if that player is found to be overweight then obviously the load on the body can lead to hamstring tear,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
“Rana’s injury is a clear indication that while he got fitness certificate after successful completion of his rehabilitation programme post knee surgery, he didn’t focus completely on weight management, which can be a tricky issue during long injury lay-offs,” the report further states.
In addition to Harshit Rana‘s weight-management concerns, reports also claimed that another key top-order T20 batter was found to be slightly overweight ahead of India’s overseas tour, although the excess was said to be only marginal.
Varun Chakaravarthy Faces Uncertain Future With Team India After Asian Games 2026
Like Harshit Rana, spinner Varun Chakaravarthy also picked up a hamstring injury during the third T20I against England, forcing him to miss the final two matches of the series. Following medical scans, it was decided that he would also sit out the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.
Varun endured an injury-plagued IPL 2026 season, dealing with finger and toe injuries before the latest setback. The mystery spinner’s form also dipped midway through the T20 World Cup 2026, and with age no longer on his side, reports suggest Team India could begin looking beyond him as part of their long-term plans.
“Since one had to name the Asian Games squad within a stipulated time-frame, Chakaravarthy was distinctly lucky to get a look-in. However, beyond that when preparations for the 2028 Olympics and the T20 World Cup in Australia start, Chakaravarthy will already be 37 and there is a high possibility that he won’t be looked beyond this year’s Asian Games,” the report mentions.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.