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Team India batter Shreyas Iyer's recurring back injury is set to put him out of action for a considerable while. According to recent reports, the Mumbai-born player might even require surgery to treat the injury, leaving him out of some major cricketing assignments.
Much like ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who recently underwent surgery to treat his back stress fracture, Shreyas will also miss the upcoming 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). The surgical procedure also puts him in doubt for the 2023 ODI World Cup on home soil as well.
Shreyas has been a vital cog in the Indian middle order of late and has more or less cemented the No.4 spot.
However, if he is unable to achieve full fitness by the time the marquee tournament unfolds, the management will have no option but to line up replacements in the squad in what will be some huge boots to fill.
The right-handed batter currently holds the 20th spot in the ICC rankings for ODI batters. His last ODI outing came against Sri Lanka in January 2023, before he was ruled out of the subsequent series against New Zealand.
Shreyas returned to India playing XI for the second Test against Australia after missing the series opener in Nagpur as well.
With the middle order bound to play a crucial role during the World Cup in the subcontinent, let's take a look at three possible names that could replace Shreyas Iyer if he is ruled out of the ODI World Cup 2023.
#1 Sanju Samson
The curious case of Sanju Samson's selection just got a whole lot trickier after he was not named as a replacement for Shreyas Iyer in the squad for the Australia series.
He was last seen during the first T20I against Sri Lanka in January 2023, where he sustained a knee injury while fielding.
Despite having attained full fitness ahead of the IPL season, he was not called in by the BCCI. However, the selection committee might have to seek his services should Shreyas not be available for the World Cup.
Samson is the only middle-order batter available in the pool with credible international experience under his belt.
To his credit, the Kerala-born batter has performed well in the 50-over format in national colors, despite his batting position changing constantly.
He has scored 330 runs in 10 innings at an average of 66. He has proven to be a reliable batter in the format and could be the ideal and best possible replacement that Team India have for Shreyas.
#2 Rajat Patidar
The Madhya Pradesh batter has been among the best performers on the domestic circuit for a while now.
His exploits in List A cricket helped him earn a maiden call-up to the national team ahead of the home series against South Africa in October 2022.
While Rajat Patidar is yet to avail a chance in the playing XI, the serious injury to Shreyas Iyer might pave the way for Patidar to feature and hopefully try to stake a claim for the vacant position in the middle order.
He averages 34.33 in List A cricket after 51 appearances and holds a healthy strike rate of 97.45 as well.
#3 Rahul Tripathi
Rahul Tripathi has made a good impression in national colors while playing the shortest format. While he has been included in the ODI squad on select occasions of late, he is yet to make his debut.
He has made 53 appearances in List A cricket, scoring 1782 runs at an average of 37.91. His approach to scoring runs briskly also comes as an advantage, with Team India probably looking out for proactive batters who can score at will on batting-friendly wickets on home soil.
Someone like Deepak Hooda could also be on the radar of the selectors. The presence of a batting all-rounder, who bowls part-time spin quite well, will be a valuable asset in the squad.
The race for Shreyas Iyer's potential spot might begin with the upcoming IPL season as well. While the formats are contrastingly different, it is a good avenue to find your best form and attract the selectors' interest.
Will Shreyas Iyer recover in time for the ODI World Cup 2023? Let us know what you think.
