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India batter Shreyas Iyer opened up on the unbearable pain that he faced when he underwent back surgery in London during 2023. This came after he had sustained a serious back injury which had completely ruled him out from the IPL that year. The injury was so severe that it even looked to be careeer-threatening and left the batter with no choice but to undergo surgery.
Shreyas has now opened up on the injury and has revealed that it even left one of his legs paralyzed at one stage. He would finally make a comeback in IPL 2024 where he would go on to captain the Kolkata Knight Riders to their third title. Iyer described the pain that he went through during surgery as 'scary' and stated that it ran down all the way to his toe.
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"No one can understand the pain I went through. I was totally paralysed in one leg. With spine surgery, you can place a rod in the back and still manage. But a snapped nerve, which is what I had, is really, really dangerous. The pain was horrendous, running all the way down to my tiny toe. It was so scary," Shreyas said in an interview with GQ India.
Meanwhile, Shreyas also broke his long silence on his shocking exit from KKR ahead of IPL 2025. After leading the franchise to the title just a season before, the 30-year-old was surprisingly released which saw him enter the auction. He was eventually signed by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) for a whopping fee of INR 26.75 crore, becoming the second-highest paid cricketer in IPL history.
"I offer a lot as a captain and player. If I get respect, anything can be accomplished. This is what happened at Punjab. They gave me all the support I needed, whether it was the coaches, management or players. I was coming off a high, having just helped India win the Champions Trophy. So all the stakeholders at Punjab Kings were eager to hear from me and have me contribute meaningfully. This allowed me to be decisive both on and off the field. I was in every meeting with the management and coaches, contributing strategically. This is something I love!" Shreyas stated.
"I was part of the conversation, but wasn't completely in the mix. I've had to work my way up to get to the position I am in now," he added.
A stunning turnaround for Shreyas
Shreyas had an incredible redemption arc as not only did he star for India in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, but continued that stellar form in the IPL as well. He led PBKS to only their second IPL final in history and gave valiant contributions with the bat throughout the season as well. Interestingly, Shreyas' next assignment will be with the India A side as he will be leading them in the the upcoming two-match unofficial Test series against Australia A which is set to begin from September 16.
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