India batter Shreyas Iyer has revealed that he raised concerns about his back issues after the 2023 ODI World Cup, but felt his worries were overlooked by the management.
He struggled significantly after the World Cup while playing in the longer format and expressed that his concerns were not taken seriously. This ongoing issue has affected his performance and participation in various matches, leading to a challenging period in his cricketing career.
“I was definitely struggling after the World Cup in the longer format,” Iyer, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain, said a day before the IPL final against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Chennai, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo. “When I raised my concern, no one was agreeing to it.
Iyer had a challenging time dealing with his back injury, which saw him make a comeback in the Asia Cup last year before playing in the ODI World Cup in October-November. Early in 2024, he was picked for the first two home Tests against England but was left out for the remaining three. It was understood that Iyer experienced back spasms after the second Test but had been cleared for selection. Despite this, he missed some Ranji Trophy games for Mumbai, citing “back spasms.”
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Controversy arose when Iyer attended a KKR pre-season camp, missing a Ranji Trophy game. Although he returned for the Ranji Trophy semifinals and final, he lost his central BCCI contract. This followed a warning from BCCI secretary Jay Shah, advising players not to prioritize IPL over domestic cricket.
Reflecting on his journey, Iyer said, “But at the same time the competition is with myself. When the IPL was approaching all I wanted to see was that I’d put my best foot forward and whatever planning and strategising we [KKR] did before it, basically if we could execute it to the best of our abilities, we would have been in a great spot – and that’s where we are right now.”
As KKR prepare for the final, Iyer’s resilience and leadership will be crucial. Fans eagerly await the showdown, hoping KKR can claim their third IPL title.