Indian batter Shreyas Iyer is set to miss the upcoming IPL 2023 after re-aggravating his back injury. This fitness concern also pushed Iyer to miss India’s three-game ODI series against Australia. The back injury also ruled him out of the first Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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Iyer's return was further short-lived as he was once again out of the Indian team for the fourth Test citing the same injury. With Iyer being out for the IPL, reports say, Kolkata Knight Riders will be soon announcing a new captain for the 2023 season as they kick-start their campaign against the Punjab Kings on April 1.
In the past few days, reports regarding Shreyas Iyer not opting for back surgery have also surfaced. The Mumbai batter is set to continue his rest and rehab for a few more days before taking a call on the treatment as per multiple reports. The Knight Riders management has expressed full towards Iyer and has helped him consult an Ayurveda specialist for a non-intrusive alternative medicine.
Talking about a possible replacement for Shreyas Iyer as a captain, West Indian off-spinner Sunil Narine and Indian batter Nitish Rana are understood to be among the frontrunners. Narine previously led Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (KKR’s sister team) recently in the inaugural season of the ILT20 in the UAE.
Under Narine, Knight Riders finished bottom of the table with a single win and eight defeats. Whereas Rana has been captain of the Delhi team in 12 T20s during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Under Rana’s captaincy, Delhi had a decent record of eight wins and four defeats.
Another possible name in contention could be New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee. The 34-year-old was named as the Black Caps’ captain in December 2022 and has since done a decent job in the role.
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