Akash Deep ruled out of IPL 2026

There seems to be no end to Kolkata Knight Riders' fast-bowling concerns. After Harshit Rana and Matheesha Pathirana - who is still awaiting clearance from Sri Lanka Cricket - the latest reversal for the franchise is Akash Deep. Cricketlineguruji can confirm that the India pacer has been ruled out of IPL 2026.

A top official from Kolkata Knight Riders has confirmed the development to Cricketlineguruji. "Unfortunately, he is out of the IPL, ruled out for the season," the KKR official said. The 29-year-old Bengal pacer was picked by the franchise at his base price of INR 1 crore at last year's mini-auction in Abu Dhabi.

Akash has not reported for the Kolkata Knight Riders camp, which has been underway in Kolkata since March 18. It is understood that he has been undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, although the exact nature of his injury remains unclear. It is believed that there has been some communication regarding the player from the CoE managers to the franchise.

Akash has been a candidate of frequent injuries which forced him to miss matches regularly - be it for India or the IPL franchise. In four seasons since his IPL debut in 2022, he has featured in just 14 matches, claiming 10 wickets. Last IPL, he was part of Lucknow SuperGiants, who had signed him for Rs 8 crore at the 2025 auction, only to release him after one season.

With Akash unavailable, the Knight Riders have little choice but to look for a replacement. The franchise had been undecided about seeking a substitute even for Harshit Rana, who was ruled out even before their camp began, due to knee surgery. The sense within the camp was that there were no suitable replacements available for a player of Rana's calibre.

On Friday, KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar had hinted at seeking a replacement probably with the knowledge that Akash is also doubtful for the season. "Hopefully soon, in a couple of days I think. Obviously Harshit is with the BCCI at the CoE. Once we get an update the medical team will communicate to us. We'll try to evaluate what we are picking before we make the announcement. (We) will take us a few more days, most probably before we leave for Mumbai," Nayar said.

The latest setback compounds Knight Riders' bowling woes ahead of the season. The franchise had invested heavily in Pathirana (bought him for Rs 18 crore), but the Sri Lankan pacer is yet to obtain the NOC from his board. In any case, he is expected to miss at least a part of the season.

Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik and Kartik Tyagi are the Indian pacers currently in the KKR squad. The team management, of course, has the option of using all-rounder Cameron Green for a few overs.

KKR start their campaign with an away fixture against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede on March 29.