Shreyas Iyer ruled out of IPL, WTC final: Details here
What's the story
Indian batter Shreyas Iyer is set to undergo surgery on his injured back.
This means his chances of playing in the latter part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final are all but over.
As per ESPNCricinfo, Iyer will go overseas for the surgery and will be out for three months.
Here's more.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Iyer has been marred with back injuries for some time. In between, there was news that he is not opting to get operated on to give himself chance to play in the WTC final.
But probably the situation has forced him to take a U-turn and get operated.
His absence from the India team and KKR camp will be a huge setback.
Injuries
Iyer's tryst with back injuries
Iyer missed the final Test match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy after he complained of lower back pain. It later ruled him out of the ODI series against Australia.
The recurring back problems soon became an issue for the batter, who is now out of the IPL 2023.
He was supposed to lead KKR and play for India in the WTC final.
IPL
Iyer's IPL numbers
Iyer has been a prolific performer in IPL, having mustered 2,776 runs in 101 matches at 31.55. He owns as many as 19 fifties in the competition.
Last season, which marked Iyer's KKR debut, he hammered 401 runs at 30.84.
As a result, KKR appointed Nitish Rana as their stand-in captain.
KKR suffered a defeat in their IPL 2023 opener versus Punjab Kings.
IPL
A massive blow for KKR
Iyer is not only KKR's captain but also their main batter in the middle order. He is someone who could have held the innings together, allowing other batters to play around him.
With Shakib Al Hasan also ruled out, KKR's problems are only increasing this season.
KKR will look to bounce back against RCB at home in match number 9.
Stats
A look at Iyer's Test numbers
Before his injury, Iyer was one of the best prospects for India to play at number five.
His red-ball career for India was off to a flying start when he scored a hundred on his debut against New Zealand.
In 10 Tests, he has amassed 666 runs with an average of 44.40. Apart from the ton, he also owns five fifties.