India star player Shreyas Iyer's presence is doubtful for at least the first half of the upcoming Indian Premier League. Iyer pulled out of the fourth Test against Australia due to a back injury and was ruled out of the ODI series as well.
According to recent reports by ESPNcricinfo, the 28-year-old has opted out of the surgery and has been advised to continue his rehabilitation and take rest.
"Iyer's issues, it is learned, concern a bulge in one of the discs in his spine, which has resulted in an impinged nerve. The nerve runs along the right leg and has caused shooting pain in Iyer's calf, which is compounded by mobility issues. It is understood that Iyer has been given six injections in the recent past to help numb the pain in his back," the report stated.
Iyer consulted a spine surgeon in Mumbai and was asked to rest, rehab and wait for the pain to subside before resuming strength and conditioning and mobility exercises. And if it fails to give results then opt for surgery. The BCCI medical staff even consulted a London-based specialist and he also advised the same.
"Iyer has told the BCCI medical staff that he wants to explore options before taking the final call on surgery. He has also received full support from the Knight Riders management who helped him consult an Ayurveda specialist for a non-intrusive alternative medicine," the report further stated.
Iyer is the skipper of Kolkata Knight Riders and in his absence, the team will have to look at other captaincy options. There has been speculation that Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, or Nitish Rana can take the role of captaincy for the team.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet issued a statement on Iyer's current situation. Iyer got injured after India's tour to Bangladesh. He was ruled out of the New Zealand ODI series.
In his IPL career, Iyer has played 101 matches and has played 2776 runs. He has registered the highest score of 96 runs and has smashed 19 half-centuries. The IPL is set to begin on the 31st of March and KKR will lock horns with Punjab Kings in their first match of the tournament on April 1.
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