Shreyas Iyer to undergo surgery, participation in IPL and WTC final unlikely: Reports

India batter Shreyas Iyer was recently ruled out of the ODI series between India and Australia due to his recurring back injury, and now, the 28-year-old will reportedly be out of action for four to five months.

As a result of his injury, Iyer could miss the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and the all-important World Test Championship final as well, which is scheduled to take place on June 7, 2023 at The Oval. Iyer leads Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, and the side will be desperate to find a replacement skipper in his absence.

Iyer pulled out of the fourth Test of the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to the injury, and skipper Rohit Sharma admitted that the scans did not look good for Iyer. The recurring injury seems to have put a dent in Iyer’s plans for the 2022–2023 season, and the star batter will look to make a return as soon as possible.

The Times of India reported that Iyer would undergo a surgery for his back issue, due to which he would likely miss the IPL and the WTC final.

KKR will look to name replacement skipper soon

Shreyas Iyer’s absence is sure to be a big blow for Kolkata Knight Riders, as the 28-year-old is an integral part of the squad, and the franchise will be in desperate need of his leadership in the forthcoming tournament.

Iyer has played 101 IPL matches, where he has notched up 2776 runs. It will not just be his leadership skills that will be missed, but KKR will also miss his explosive batting performances and his power-hitting prowess. As he is reported to be out of contention for a few months, Kolkata will look to name a replacement as soon as possible and name a stand-in skipper as well.

There are many contenders who can take up the leadership role in Iyer's absence. KKR’s squad is filled to the brim with talent, and players like Tim Southee, Nitish Rana and Sunil Narine could be fully equipped to take on the role of KKR captain for the 2023 IPL season.