IPL 2023: KKR's Shreyas Iyer to travel abroad for back surgery; to also miss ICC World Test Championship Final

Former two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has been dealt with a significant setback, as its skipper Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) with a back injury, while he will be travelling abroad to have back surgery. He is expected to be out of action for three months, effectively ruling him out of the 2021-23 ICC World Test Championship Final in June at The Oval in London, reports ESPNCricinfo.

Iyer has been struggling lately with a back problem. While he made his comeback to the Indian side during last month's Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series at home against Australia, he had to miss out on the final Test after the recurrence of the injury and the One-Day International (ODI) series that followed.

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Consequently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was reportedly miffed with the National Cricket Academy (NNCA) in Bengaluru for clearing a player as physically fit prematurely. While his initial back problem arose last December, it was reported that in both instances, he experienced swelling in his lower back due to a bulge in one of the spine discs, leading to an impinged nerve.

The same nerve runs through the legs, leading to a sharp pain in his calf, further resulting in mobility issues. While he had taken six injections to numb his back pain, he has yet to train at the NCA. At the same time, he is under BCCI's medical staff care, while he has been ruled out of IPL 2023. Nitish Rana is expected to lead KKR throughout the season, besides the franchise seeking a proper replacement for Iyer for the season.