3 Players who can replace Shreyas Iyer in ODI series against Australia

After finishing as India’s leading run-scorer across formats in 2022, it seemed like 2023 would be Shreyas Iyer's breakthrough year. However, that hasn’t been the case so far as the player has missed a lot of crucial games because of injuries this year. He missed the first Test of the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, and could not bat in the fourth and final match after sustaining a back injury.

Hence, Iyer's participation in the ODI games against the Aussies is unlikely, which is a massive blow for the Rohit Sharma-led side. With the 50-over World Cup just around the corner, India needed his service in the middle order and with good performances, he could have guaranteed his position in the playing XI. However, with that not happening anytime soon, the team management and the selectors might find the need to look for his replacement and groom him well as no one’s quite sure when Iyer will make his return and most importantly, whether the replacement player can be as effective as Iyer.

Three cricketers who can replace Shreyas Iyer in the upcoming ODI series against Australia:

3. Rahul Tripathi

Flamboyant batter Rahul Tripathi was part of the ODI series against Bangladesh but was dropped from the series against Sri Lanka, without getting any opportunity to prove himself. He wasn’t even on the radar for the ODI series against Australia, but now with Shreyas Iyer's inclusion under the scanner, the 32-year-old may get an opportunity to get back into India’s scheme of things.

Notably, Tripathi has played 53 List-A games so far in his career and has scored 1782 runs in the process. He is known for his aggressive brand of cricket which can help the Men in Blue establish their authority in the middle overs - something they have struggled to do against quality opponents.

Especially with Rishabh Pant currently injured, India needs someone who can take the game away from the opposition and thus, Tripathi can be an excellent fit. He has a lot of experience in domestic cricket and on top of that, is an excellent fielder. Thus, he can very well get back to the side.