Shreyas Iyer has already been ruled out of the ongoing ODI Series Between India and Australia.

Shreyas Iyer : Indian Cricketer

IPL 2023 : Shreyas Iyer May Miss Almost Half The Tournament

Shreyas Iyer, Who missed the final Test against Australia in Ahmedabad due to a back injury, will miss the entire ODI Series Against Australia. To add to his troubles, he is also expected to miss the first half of the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League.

According to a report in Times of India, Shreyas Iyer is expected to be out of the game till the end of April due to the recurring injury. The injury had previously ruled him out of the ODI Series against New Zealand and the first Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

Shreyas Iyers Injury Update

The report further states that Shreyas Iyer is currently undergoing recovery at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Notably, he was named in the Playing XI for the Fourth Test, but could not field or bat due to inflammation in his back.

During the Post-Match conference after the Ahmedabad Test, Indian Skipper Rohit Sharma gave an update on Shreyas Iyer's injury, adding that it would likely keep him out of action for a long time. Here's what Rohit Sharma Said :

It was just such an unfortunate incident. He had to wait the second day to bat and then when the day was over, his back problem flared up again. He was sent to the Hospital for Scans I don't know the exact report of the scan, but it seems he is not doing well.

Who Will Lead KKR in The Absence of Shreyas Iyer ?

Kolkata Knight Riders signed Shreyas Iyer in Mega Auction 2022 for INR 12 Crore and made him their Captain. However, KKR failed to reach the playoffs last season under his leadership and his injury added to their problems.

Three Possible Replacements For Shreyas Iyer As KKR captain

Shakib AL Hasan : Bangladesh Cricketer

Shakib Al Hasan, currently the top-ranked All-Rounder in White-Ball Cricket, led Bangladesh to a series whitewash against defending T20 World Cup Champions England.

The Bangladesh Skipper played an integral role in KKR's Title-Winning campaigns in 2012 and 2014. With a total of 793 runs and 63 wickets in 71 matches, He is well-equipped to lead the Team in Shreyas Iyer's absence.

Nitish Rana : Indian Cricketer

Nitish Rana may not have had a breakthrough year, but he has been an important Member of Kolkata Knight Riders for quite some time.

With 2,181 runs in 91 IPL Games and a strike rate of 134.22, He has established himself as a consistent Run-Scorer in the tournament. Additionally, his part-time off-spin bowling is an added advantage for his team.

Having already captained Delhi in domestic T20 cricket, Nitish Rana is well-acquainted with leadership roles, making him an ideal candidate to lead KKR in Shreyas Iyer's absence.

Tim Southee : New Zealand Cricketer

The Star fast Bowler leads the New Zealand Test Team and has a good amount of experience leading the side. He was picked by the two-time champions last season and has retained his place in the team this year as well.

Given his anticipated participation in all KKR Matches this year and his past experience in the premier teams, he is an excellent choice to Captain the side in Shreyas Iyer's absence.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Squad For IPL 2023 :

Shreyas Iyer (C), Nitish Rana, Rahmanullah Gurbaz(WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarty, Anukul Roy, Rinku Singh, N Jagadeesan(WK), Vaibhav Arora , Suyash Sharma, David Wiese, Kulwant Khejroliya, Liton Das(WK), Mandeep Singh, Shakib Al Hasan.

Probable 11 For KKR In IPL 2023 :

Mandeep Singh, N Jagadeesan(Wk), Shreyas Iyer(C)(Play if), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Shakib Al Hasan, Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav, Vaibhav Arora