India suffered an injury scare ahead of their T20 World Cup 2026 opener as pacer Harshit Rana limped off during a warm-up fixture against South Africa at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday (February 4) evening.

With Washington Sundar’s fitness already under cloud, India’s injury list has become a growing concern ahead of the global tournament.

Rana pulled out of his runup twice during an over before holding his knee and hobbling off the field. The right-arm quick bowled just one over and conceded 16 runs.

An official statement from the BCCI about the severity of Harshit Rana’s injury is still awaited, leaving the Indian fans anxious.

The Indian team management is already monitoring Washington Sundar, who had also missed the last two ODIs and five T20Is against New Zealand due to a side strain. He is still a part of the squad and expected to back in time.

However, India heaved a sigh of relief as key batter Tilak Varma took the field in the warm-up game against South Africa and smashed 45 off just 19 balls with three fours and as many sixes. The southpaw has missed the entire T20I series against the Kiwis after undergoing a surgery for an abdominal issue.

Despite the injury setback, India secured a comprehensive 30-run victory over South Africa in the warm-up match.

The Men in Blue will begin their T20 World Cup title defence against the USA on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium. They are placed in Group A along with Pakistan, Namibia, Netherlands and the USA