Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of India’s men’s three-ODI series versus Australia, starting in Mumbai on March 17. The national selection panel has decided against getting a replacement player for the series.
Shreyas’ back injury recurred last week during the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. As a result, he played no part on the last two days of the Test match.
Having been plagued by a swollen back repeatedly since December, an India team spokesperson on Monday stated “a specialist opinion” will be sought.
Sportstar understands that Shreyas has already reported at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. The medical team at NCA in consultation with a specialist is set to submit a detailed report on Shreyas’ fitness status to the BCCI on Wednesday.
The extent of his injury and rehab programme will then determine whether the Kolkata Knight Riders will miss its captain for the initial stage of the Indian Premier League, set to begin on March 31.
The national selection panel, headed by interim chief Shiv Sundar Das, has decided against roping in Shreyas’ replacement since the original squad already had 18 members. Rohit Sharma will miss the first ODI due to personal commitments, with Hardik Pandya set to lead at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
Meanwhile, the BCCI is yet to take any formal steps with regard to filling in the vacancy in the selection panel following chairman Chetan Sharma’s resignation. Sharma resigned after being caught in a sting operation midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but the BCCI is yet to officially announce his resignation.