Shreyas Iyer picks up fresh back injury, misses India vs Pakistan Asia Cup match, KL Rahul comes in

Shreyas Iyer was left off the Indian playing 11 for Sunday’s crucial Super 4 match against Pakistan.

After a protracted injury layoff, Shreyas Iyer returned to the Indian team for the team’s Asia Cup 2023 opening against Pakistan. However, just two games into the season, Shreyas Iyer is suffering from an injury once more. During the toss, India’s skipper Rohit Sharma said that the top right-handed batter would miss India’s first Super 4 match against Pakistan due to a back spasm. It was a “last-minute change” in the starting XI, which was another clue from Rohit that Iyer was healthy and ready to play today. In Iyer’s place, KL Rahul, who is also making his way back from a hamstring injury, was named to the starting lineup.

The no.4 batter in the fifty-over format, Iyer had been away from international action since March earlier this year and was also forced to miss the Indian Premier League due to a back injury. As India gets ready for the ODI World Cup at home, his return at the Asia Cup gave them a huge boost in confidence. However, the team management is now worried about a probable back injury.

Ishan Kishan, who got his fourth consecutive fifty in ODIs during the Asia Cup opener against Pakistan last week, has been in superb form for the team. Ishan entered the batting order with India in trouble at 48/3, but he played a counterattacking innings against a bowling assault that included Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah among others. He contributed 82 runs and an outstanding partnership with Hardik Pandya (87) that helped India to a respectable 266.

Iyer is one of the 15 players selected by India for the ODI World Cup, therefore the team will be hoping that the middle-order batsman bounces back swiftly in time for the team’s next game against Sri Lanka on September 12. While Pakistan had already defeated Bangladesh in the second round of the continental tournament, this was India’s first encounter in the Super 4 stage.

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