Shreyas Iyer to delay back surgery, reports at NCA to recover before WTC final

Rahul Dravid and Shreyas Iyer. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Shreyas Iyer has decided to delay his back surgery to remain available for the squad selection for the World Test Championship 2023 final. He reported at National Cricket Academy in Bangalore on Wednesday, March 29 to target a quick recovery before the WTC final, which is scheduled from June 7 to 11 at The Oval, London.

The 28-year-old batter complained about pain in the lower back during the fourth Test match against Australia in Ahmedabad and was later ruled out of the match. He was also ruled out of the ODIs against Australia and is likely to miss the upcoming Indian Premier League 2023.

Last week, the NCA advised the player to skip the surgery to remain available for the crucial WTC final. Surgery would have cost him six months of recovery period and a probable exclusion from the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 as well. 

Now, Cricbuzz reports that the player will be taking injections for his back troubles on March 30 and further developments will be assessed by medical staff at the NCA.

“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,” a source close to Shreyas said, according to Cricbuzz.

Shreyas Iyer to play a few IPL 2023 games?

Shreyas’ injury has also hampered his chances of playing in the upcoming IPL 2023. Kolkata Knight Riders have already named Nitish Rana to lead the team in Iyer’s absence. But now there is still a bit of hope of him returning to play a few games in the latter stages of the tournament. KKR’s new head coach Chandrakant Pandit also hinted at Iyer’s potential involvement during a press conference on March 28.

“Shreyas’ absence will make a difference since he is important, but this is truly unfortunate. We are hoping Shreyas will be back very soon and that will make a lot of difference to the team,” Chandrakant Pandit said.

Shreyas was the leading run-getter for KKR during the IPL 2022 but the franchise struggled for results throughout the tournament under his leadership. The two-time champions face Punjab Kings in their first IPL 2023 game this season at Mohali’s PCA IS Bindra Stadium on April 1, 2023.