In a major setback to Kolkata, skipper Shreyas Iyer is set to miss Indian T20 League due to back injury

The 16th edition of the Indian T20 League is set to start on March 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Ahead of the upcoming edition, two times champion Kolkata has suffered a major setback as their skipper Shreyas Iyer is likely to miss the tournament. Iyer is likely to be ruled out of the tournament due to a recurring back injury.

According to a recent report, Iyer’s back injury which surfaced before the ODI series against Australia will keep him out of action for at least four to five months. His absence will dent the plans of Kolkata for the upcoming edition of the Indian T20 League. However, the franchise and Indian Cricket Board are yet to make any statement regarding Iyer’s injury.

Iyer injured his back during the India tour of Bangladesh in December 2022 and missed the ODI series against New Zealand and the first Test against Australia. He made his comeback during the second Test of BGT 23. However, his injury resurfaced once again and he might undergo back surgery in London. Notably, Kolkata bought Iyer for a whooping sum of INR 12.25 Crore during the player’s auction in 2022.

Who will lead Kolkata in absence of Shreyas Iyer?

His absence has increased tension in both the Indian team management and Kolkata as he has been India’s one of most consistent batters in international cricket. His absence will now open the doors for players like KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Prithvi Shaw, and Sharfaraz Khan to make it into the Test team for Test Championship.

On the other hand, Kolkata will now need to find another skipper who can lead the team in the most competitive cricketing league. Young batter Nitish Rana, along with Sunil Naraine and Andre Russell, can be considered by team management to fill up the shoes of Iyer. Notably, Kolkata will play their first game against Shikhar Dhawan led-Punjab at IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on April 1.