Sad news for KKR fans! Back injury could force Shreyas Iyer to miss cricket for significant period
Besides the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia, Shreyas Iyer could also miss the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders, a franchise he leads in the cash-rich league.
FollowShreyas Iyer's recurring lower back injury "isn't looking good at the moment", said India captain Rohit Sharma, who couldn't set a timeframe on the stylish right-hander's comeback to competitive cricket.
In addition to the forthcoming three-match ODI series against Australia, Iyer might be unable to play for Kolkata Knight Riders in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.
After playing on the pitch for more than 167 overs during the Australian innings of the 4th and final Test at Ahmedabad, Iyer, a member of the playing XI, could not come out to bat for India on the best batting surface because of reoccurring lower back difficulties in his right.
Iyer will not play in the three-match ODI series against Australia that will begin on March 17 in Mumbai, according to a report on Sunday from the PTI. But, based on the most recent information, his participation in the IPL also appears to be in jeopardy, and a decision would be made after consulting a specialist.
"Poor guy... It just was such an unfortunate incident. He had to wait all day to bat and then when the day got over, the issue he had with his back, recurred. He was sent to the hospital to take scans," the skipper sounded a tad dejected when asked about the status of the player's fitness.
"I don't know the exact report of the scans, but he does not seem to be doing that well. Obviously, that's why he's not present here," Sharma added.
The Indian captain said that he is unsure how long it will take for the dashing batter to be match-fit again.
"So we don't know the exact status of how long he will take to recover or when he will be back. When it happened, it did not look that great. I hope he recovers quickly and comes back and plays again," the skipper said.
Another instance of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) not faring well is Iyer's injury. How was Iyer given the go-ahead to play directly in a Test match rather than taking part in the Irani Cup in Gwalior after fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna — both of whom have had delayed back surgery — is a point that is currently being asked.
In the case of the Mumbaikar, the team management led by Rahul Dravid did not abide by the earlier protocol of screening out an unfit player returning after rehabilitation at the NCA in domestic cricket.
No player undergoing rehabilitation at NCA would return to the international fold without participating in at least one domestic match, according to Dravid, who established this policy in collaboration with the former national selection committee, which MSK Prasad led.
(With inputs from PTI)
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