Shreyas Iyer reports at the NCA after having opted against injury; expects to recover in time for the WTC final - Reports

Team India batter Shreyas Iyer has reportedly made up his mind over having surgery and has opted for other means of recovery. The Mumbai-born player has reported to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore, where he will undergo treatment for a back injury.

The recurring nature of the injury has left Shreyas in a tricky position. The back injury forced him to drop out of the ODIs against New Zealand and he was not fit to play the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia as well.

While he played in the ensuing three Tests, the injury flared up yet again during the series finale in Ahmedabad, rendering him unavailable for at least the first half of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Series W 🇮🇳 Onto the WTC final ✌️Gutted to have missed out on the last few days but I’ll return stronger. Thank you for all the messages 🤗 https://t.co/Td9M5qScBM

A report by Cricbuzz states that Shreyas has taken an injection on Wednesday, March 29, and his recovery period will be determined by the NCA coaching staff, who are monitoring the workload of other Indian players in the IPL as well.

A source close to the player told Cricbuzz:

"He has met the specialist and the NCA officials. All are on the same page that the operation can be deferred. He will follow the experts' advice."

The right-handed batter is currently in a race against time to recover for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will take place against Australia at The Oval from June 7 onwards.

He will hope to be fit in time to reclaim his spot in the middle order in the summit clash.

Nitish Rana to lead KKR in Shreyas Iyer's absence

With Shreyas not partaking in the first half of IPL 2023, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have named Nitish Rana as the interim captain.

The likes of Shardul Thakur and Sunil Narine were in contention, but the left-handed batter was bestowed with a leadership opportunity. Ahead of the start of the tournament, Rana said:

"For me this is not new. I have been playing a leadership role in this franchise for a few years. It's just that the tag is of a captain this time. And if I take extra pressure over a tag, then my game can potentially get ruined."

First press conference as KKR Captain and Head-Coach: Say hi 👋 to skipper Nitish Rana and Chandrakant Pandit. 💜

@NitishRana_27 #AmiKKR #TATAIPL2023 #NitishRana #Captain https://t.co/U7aX0mAEq4

KKR will begin their IPL 2023 campaign against the Shikhar Dhawan-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Saturday, April 1, at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.

Will Shreyas Iyer feature for KKR in IPL 2023? Let us know what you think.