New Delhi: The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to commence on March 28, 2026. There is palpable excitement among both players and fans regarding this tournament. However, on the other hand, just before the IPL begins, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have suffered a major setback—one that the team is currently striving to address.
KKR’s fiery pacer, Akash Deep, has been ruled out of the tournament due to an injury. This came as a shock to the team’s selectors and its legion of fans. KKR is now set to bring Saurabh Dubey into the squad as a replacement for Akash Deep. His inclusion is expected to bolster the team’s bowling attack—an aspect of the squad that currently has everyone’s attention.
Who is Saurabh Dubey?
While Akash Deep’s withdrawal certainly dealt a blow to KKR, the team is moving to fill that void by bringing in another formidable pacer. KKR has signed Saurabh Dubey as a replacement for Akash Deep for the upcoming season.
Dubey had previously served as a ‘net bowler’ for KKR, practising alongside the team during camps held at Eden Gardens and in Mumbai; he will now officially become a part of the main squad. A member of the ‘India A’ team during the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup, Saurabh Dubey has played eight ‘List A’ matches and three T20S representing Vidarbha. Dubey had also caught the eye of former Indian pacer Subroto Banerjee, whose tenure as a national selector concluded just last year.
Saurabh Dubey Set to Make His Debut
The 28-year-old Saurabh Dubey currently lacks any prior experience of playing in an IPL match. Everyone will be eagerly awaiting his debut game. During the ‘mini-auction’ held in Abu Dhabi last year, no franchise placed a bid for him; however, since he had registered himself for the auction, Dubey became a part of the ‘Registered Available Player Pool’ (RAPP). Any franchise is permitted to select replacement players for the injured squad members from this specific pool. Who Will Replace Harshit Rana?
According to reports, the franchise has not yet finalised a replacement player for Harshit Rana. Harshit Rana has been ruled out of this season following surgery in February for a ‘meniscus tear’ in his right knee. However, since Wednesday, KKR has been conducting ‘trials’ (selection tests) to select new players to replace Harshit Rana and Akash Deep.