Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have signed Navdeep Saini as a replacement for injured Harshit Rana ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Rana, who missed the recent ICC Men's T20 World Cup due to injury, has also been ruled out of the IPL. Kolkata finalized Saini’s inclusion after considering multiple options. The move comes days after the franchise replaced Akash Deep with Saurabh Dubey.

Saini made his IPL debut with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2019, picking up 11 wickets in 13 matches. He played three seasons with the franchise before joining Rajasthan Royals (RR), where he featured in four matches across two seasons. He has taken 23 wickets in the IPL and has represented the India national cricket team in all three formats.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans (GT) have signed Kulwant Khejroliya as a replacement for Prithviraj Yarra. Khejroliya made his IPL debut with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2018 and later played for Kolkata in 2023. He also featured in one match for Gujarat last season.

Kolkata will open their IPL 2026 campaign against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29. GT will begin their season against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on March 31 in Mullanpur.