In a big blow to the Indian team ahead of their ODI series against Australia, star India batter Shreyas Iyer will have to sit out the ODI series as well, according to reports circulated in the media. Iyer did not complete the fourth Test in Ahmedabad after a recurring back injury, and he is set to miss the ODI series which will start on Friday, March 17.
During the fourth Test against Australia in Ahmedabad, Iyer complained of pain in his lower back and underwent scans to determine the extent of the injury. He eventually left the Ahmedabad Test early due to a recurrence of a back injury, and will be monitored by the BCCI medical staff before a call is taken on his participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The batter is the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in his second season with the franchise.
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Earlier, skipper Rohit Sharma shared an update on Iyer's injury, saying that the 28-year-old ‘does not seem to be doing well’. "Poor guy. It 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,” Rohit said in the press conference on Monday (March 13).
"Obviously, that’s why he’s not present here, so we don’t know the exact status of how long he will take to recover or when he will be back. When it happened, it did not look that great. I hope he recovers quickly and comes back and plays again," he added.
On the final day of the fifth Test, the BCCI said in a media release that a 'specialist's opinion will be sought' to treat Iyer's condition, which is a recurrence of the issue he experienced in December following the tour of Bangladesh.
His absence might give uncapped Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar a chance to make his debut with the ODI squad. Patidar has completed his fitness assessment following a two-week long physical conditioning at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
