Shreyas Iyer, the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders, has re-injured his back and could potentially be sidelined for the initial stages of the IPL 2024 season.
Shreyas Iyer has been struggling with back spasms lately, which is the same issue that led to his surgery last year and caused him to miss the entire IPL 2023 season.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) hasn’t officially disclosed the specifics of Iyer’s injury, but a source close to the team has hinted that the situation isn’t promising. There’s word going around that he won’t be able to play on Day 5 of the Ranji Trophy final and might also sit out the early matches of the upcoming IPL season.
According to the same source mentioned in The Times of India (TOI), Shreyas Iyer’s back problem has worsened and he’ll likely be sidelined for the first few games of IPL 2024.
“It’s not looking good. It’s the same back injury which has got aggravated. It’s unlikely that he will take the field on Day 5 of the Ranji Trophy final. He is in danger of missing the initial matches of the IPL. During the recently-held Test series against England at home, he had told the Indian team management about this injury troubling him again.” – the source told TOI.
During the England series, Iyer raised concerns about his back pain, which unfortunately led to him being dropped after the second Test. He also had to sit out Mumbai’s quarterfinal match against Baroda in the Ranji Trophy due to the same issue. Interestingly, despite his complaint, the National Cricket Academy (NCA) medical head Nitin Patel deemed him fit, which ultimately played a significant role in his exclusion from the BCCI’s annual central contract.
The setback is substantial for the two-time IPL champions. They were without Iyer’s services last year, with Nitish Rana taking on the captaincy. Even in 2023, there was hope that Iyer would return for the second half of the IPL, but unfortunately, that didn’t materialize. The franchise must be crossing their fingers, hoping for a different outcome in 2024.
The Kolkata Knight Riders players and support staff are scheduled to arrive in Kolkata on March 14 ahead of their first match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23.
