IPL 2023: Shreyas Iyer's recurring back injury emerges as grave concern for KKR ahead of forthcoming edition

India batter Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia at home due to a recurring back injury and it might make him unavailable for Kolkata Knight Riders for the initial few games of the upcoming IPL season.

It is widely rumoured that the incumbent KKR skipper is struggling to walk and if the are rumours are to be believed then KKR might have to look for a potential leader to guide them for their initial few fixtures. Shreyas' back injury has been bothering him for quite sometime now.

It was his back injury that had ruled him out of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home and Rajat Patidar was asked to join the team in his absence. Iyer was also not there for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and team India made Suryakumar Yadav to play in the middle order instead of the former.

Although, Iyer made his return to India's playing XI for the third Test in Delhi, he couldn't enjoy a remarkable return as he just managed to aggregate 4 & 12 in the game. Indore Test also turned out to be a forgettable experience for the right-handed batter as he got out for a duck in the first innings and racked up just 26 runs in the second innings as the hosts lost the game by nine wickets.

All eyes were on him when India took on Australia in the fourth Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. But Iyer's injury aggravated and he was taken for scans and couldn't bat in the game because of the same.

KKR finished seventh on the points table after the end of the league stages in IPL 2022 and were not able to make it to the playoffs. Hence, Iyer's availability is the need of the hour for the franchise ahead of the upcoming season or else they might run into jeopardy.

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