Bishnoi played the first two games of India’s five-T20I series in England. India didn’t get to bowl in the first T20I, which was washed out after they had batted, but the legspinner bowled in the second game at Old Trafford and went for 60 runs in his four overs; he also sent down three back-foot no-balls in that game, and conceded two sixes and a four off the resultant free-hits.
“Rana reported a sudden onset of discomfort in his right hamstring during the third T20I against England at Trent Bridge,” a BCCI release detailing the nature of Rana and Varun’s injuries said. “Subsequent scans revealed a Grade 1 hamstring injury. He has been ruled out of the forthcoming ODI series against England and will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) for further assessment and management.
“Chakaravarthy also reported a sudden onset of discomfort in his left hamstring during the third T20I against England. An MRI scan subsequently revealed a Grade 2 hamstring injury. Based on specialist medical advice, he has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe. He will report to the BCCI COE for further management.”
Incidentally, it was an injury to the hamstring that had forced Rana to miss the T20 World Cup – he was replaced by Mohammed Siraj in India’s 15-member squad – as well as IPL 2026. He returned to action during the T20Is in Ireland and played the first two T20Is in England before the latest setback.
The hamstring injury is another blow to Varun, who has struggled for form lately – he managed just one wicket in the two T20Is in England, while going at 10.28 per over. He fractured his left toe during the back end of IPL 2026, and played through pain and missed the T20Is against Afghanistan and Ireland while in rehab.
India’s squad for the Zimbabwe T20Is is expected to reach Harare on July 20. VVS Laxman, the head of the CoE, will take charge as head coach along with assistant coaches Sunil Joshi and Hrishikesh Kanitkar, to give regular head coach Gautam Gambhir and his staff a breather after the ODI series in England.
GMT 0945 The article was updated after the BCCI confirmed Bishnoi and Prince’s inclusions.
