Two weeks before the IPL 2023 is due to kick off, and Shreyas Iyer is sidelined from national cricket due to a recurring injury.
The big hitting batsman has been forced to sit out of the upcoming India vs Australia ODI series due to a back injury. The Shreyas Iyer injury means that India will be without one of their inform batsmen from March 17th to March 22nd.
The big question is: What impact will this have on the IPL 2023? Will the Kolkata Knight Riders be without their captain?
Will the Latest Shreyas Iyer Injury Impact KKR?
The Kolkata Knight Riders captain Iyer is also potentially due to miss the first half of IPL 2023, given that the competition’s start date is the 31st of March.
The batsman complained of swelling in his lower back during the fourth test in Ahmedabad, spending nearly two days on the field. Iyer flew home from Ahmedabad before the fourth and final test in the Gavaskar-Border trophy with Australia even finished, and flew to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru to be assessed and recover.
Rohit Sharma Comments on Shreyas Iyer Injury
When asked about the Shreyas Iyer injury, Indian test captain Rohit Sharma said, “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.”
Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson is the most likely replacement for Iyer in the ODI series with Australia as they eye to double up on the Test Series win with the draw in the final test completing a 2-1 series win.
Who Could Replace Iyer as KKR Captain in IPL 2023?
Nitish Rana is the likely candidate to take over as Kolkata Knight Riders captain in the absence of Shreyas Iyer. Another option is New Zealand test captain Tim Southee, who would be a more than capable replacement for Iyer as he recovers from his back injury.
This would be a big lost for KKR, as Iyer scored 401 runs in just 14 matches in the IPL 2022. With his six-hitting knack, Iyer was formidable in the middle order alongside West Indies powerhouse Andre Russell.
The Knight Riders will be looking to reach the play offs this year at a minimum, after a disappointing showing in finishing seventh in the IPL 2022 edition. First up, they play the Punjab Kings on 1 April at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.
