In what comes as a massive blow to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) before the start of their Indian Premier League campaign, their captain Shreyas Iyer could miss the entire season due to his back injury. While initial reports had suggested that he might miss the start of the tournament owing to his back issues, recent reports have confirmed that he might have to undergo a back surgery which will take a period of four-five months to recover.
The recent update also implies that Iyer will not be part of India's World Test Championship final plans because of his injury. With the tournament set to kickstart on March 31 and KKR set to be play their first match on April 1, the two-time champions might announce a new captain really soon.
Iyer complained of back pain during IND vs AUS 4th Test
It is pertinent to note that Iyer was part of India's Test team against Australia but complained of pain during the fourth and the final Test match of the Border-Gavaskar series in Ahmedabad. The batter was sent for scans and had to withdraw from the match. The 28-year-old was then ruled out of the three-match ODI series.
Injury to Iyer could be further trouble for the Indian team management who want to finalise a squad that take part in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023. While Iyer was trusted with the number 4 position, an injury to him has forced the team to go to Suryakumar Yadav who hasn't quite grabbed his chances, getting out for two back to back golden ducks in the first two ODIs against Australia.
With no clarity on Iyer's comeback and very few ODIs remaining before the World Cup, whether the Rohit Sharma-led side continues to trust Suryakumar or try someone like Sanju Samson waiting for his chances on the sidelines will be interesting to see.