As the ICC World Cup 2023 approaches, cricketer Shreyas Iyer faces a race against time to recover his fitness for the highly anticipated tournament. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player encountered discomfort, leading him to not participate in batting during the 4th Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. Unfortunately, Iyer suffered a recurring back injury, resulting in his exclusion from both the Australia series and the entirety of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.
After missing the crucial ICC World Test Championship final against Australia due to his back injury, Shreyas Iyer underwent a surgical procedure in London. Currently, he is said to be undergoing physiotherapy at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Unfortunately, the 28-year-old was not included in India’s squad for the upcoming tour of West Indies.
Instead, young players Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been named in the 16-member squad for the two-Test series starting on July 12 in Dominica. The latest updates suggest that Iyer is also expected to be unavailable for the upcoming Asia Cup, which will be held in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Also read: Asia Cup 2023: KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer Unlikely to be Fit
According to a report from the Times of India, it appears unlikely that Shreyas Iyer will fully recover in time for the upcoming continental tournament scheduled for August-September. Sources mentioned that Iyer recently received a back pain injection at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy, but his back continues to trouble him.
Previously, Iyer had been ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand due to a back injury. The talented batsman had also experienced stiffness in his back after the final match of the Sri Lanka series earlier this year. With 10 Tests, 42 ODIs, and 49 T20Is under his belt for India, Iyer has made significant contributions. He made his international debut against New Zealand at Arun Jaitley Stadium in 2017 and has an impressive average of 46.6 in the 50-over format, accumulating 1631 runs for the national team.