Shreyas Iyer set to undergo surgery to treat back injury; effectively ruled out of IPL 2023 and WTC final - Reports
Team India batter Shreyas Iyer has reportedly decided to undergo surgery to amend his recurring back injury issues. The Mumbai-born batter will miss the entire ongoing 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, as well as the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, which begins on June 7.
According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, Shreyas, much like his teammate Jasprit Bumrah, will travel overseas for the surgery. He is expected to return to training three months after the surgery, which will at least keep him in the fray for the ODI World Cup in the October-November window.
Previous reports suggested that Shreyas was willing to hold the decision to undergo surgery by resting under a specialist's advice. However, the problem seems to have gotten out of hand, leaving with no other option than surgery.
BREAKING: Shreyas Iyer will undergo back surgery and miss #IPL2023 and the World Test Championship Final ❌
The India and KKR batter is set to be out of action for at least three months https://t.co/QnyuPwOB4z
Shreyas was already ruled out of the first half of the 2023 IPL, leading the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to name Nitish Rana as the interim captain. The franchise opened their campaign with a defeat at the hands of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mohali on Saturday, April 1.
The right-handed batter's back injury has also affected his leg since the swollen disk in his lower back has gone on to apply heavy pressure on one of the nerves, leading to pain in his right calf, rendering him out of action.
Shreyas Iyer has been troubled by persistent back injuries for a while now
The decision to undergo surgery is certainly not a spur-of-the-moment one, since the injury has bothered Shreyas Iyer for a significant while now.
He was ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand and the first Test against Australia due to similar complications.
Shreyas also did not take the field in the latter half of the final Test against the Aussies in Ahmedabad as well as the ensuing ODI series against the same opponents.
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma spoke about Shreyas' injury issues after the 2-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph:
"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. I don't know the exact report of the scans, but he does not seem to be doing that well."
Apart from Shreyas, Team India will also be without the services of Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant for the WTC final against Australia at The Oval.
Will Shreyas Iyer be fully fit and ready in time for the Asia Cup and the World Cup in the second half of 2023? Let us know what you think.