"I am just intrigued by Shreyas Iyer's fitness" - Baffled Sanjay Manjrekar ahead of IND vs PAK in Asia Cup 2023
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar is surprised to see Shreyas Iyer once again miss out due to an injury. This time it is due to a back spasm as per captain Rohit Sharma at the toss ahead of the India vs Pakistan Super 4 contest at the Asia Cup 2023 on Sunday.
Iyer has had issues with his back in the past, but was declared fully fit for the Asia Cup. The right-hander looked solid in his brief knock against Pakistan last week, but once again he has been sidelined due to an injury scare right ahead of India's Super 4 clash with their neighbors.
Manjrekar expressed his concern about Iyer's absence, given how crucial the star batter is for the Men in Blue at No. 4.
Speaking to Star Sports just after the toss during the IND vs PAK clash, here's what Sanjay Manjrekar had to say about Shreyas Iyer:
"I am just intrigued by Shreyas Iyer's fitness if that's the case. He has had a long layoff. The big story was Shreyas Iyer is fit nowadays, he played the first two games. He looked good in that game against Pakistan, scored 20-odd runs. And now he has got a back spasm."
He further added:
"You know you have got to start looking at players if they are going to be such an issue for the captain, the team management. They have been so patient, waiting for him to come back in the first match.
"He was there for the second game. But he has missed out due to back spasm. That's unfortunate, it's a forced change."
Indian openers plunder Pakistan bowling in Colombo
Pakistan's decision to bowl first in Colombo seems to have backfired as of now as the Indian openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma had a huge partnership of 121 runs. Both have been dismissed soon after reaching their respective half-centuries, but not before they put their team in a commanding position.
Rain has stopped play at the time of writing. The Men in Blue are currently at 147/2 in 24.1 overs, with Virat Kohli and KL Rahul both at the crease.