IPL 2021: Why is Shreyas Iyer not playing this season?

Shreyas Iyer, the Delhi Capitals' skipper, isn't part of IPL 2021 due to an injury he sustained during the recently concluded ODI series against England. In his absence, wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant has been named the team's stand-in captain.

In the first of the three-match ODI series, India were defending 317 runs. In the eighth over of England's chase, Jonny Bairstow tried to smash Shardul Thakur's delivery through a gap in the cover region.

Shreyas Iyer, however, was quick on his feet. He dived full stretch towards his left to save a couple of runs for his team. But in the process, the Mumbai cricketer injured his left shoulder and walked off the field immediately. Scans later revealed that he had subluxated his shoulder.

The 26-year-old underwent surgery on April 8 to treat his shoulder and is likely to be out of action for at least the next 6-8 weeks, implying that he'd not take part in the IPL 2021 even at a later stage.

Surgery was a success and with lion-hearted determination, I’ll be back in no time 🦁 Thank you for your wishes 😊 pic.twitter.com/F9oJQcSLqH

— Shreyas Iyer (@ShreyasIyer15) April 8, 2021

Before the start of the season, when the Delhi Capitals named Rishabh Pant their skipper, Shreyas Iyer conveyed his wishes to the youngster. He said:

"When I sustained the shoulder injury and Delhi Capitals needed a leader for this edition of the IPL, I had no doubt Rishabh would be the best man for the job. He has all my good wishes to make amazing things happen with our absolutely incredible team. I’m going to miss the team tremendously and will be cheering for them throughout."

Shreyas Iyer to mark his presence at the stadium soon

Before the Capitals' first game against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) this season, Shreyas Iyer was live on Instagram with the Delhi Capitals. He interacted with various members of the squad during this short session.

Since that live interaction took place just a day after his surgery, Shreyas was seen with heavy strapping around his left shoulder.

While talking to all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, Iyer revealed that he'd soon be at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, cheering the team from the stands.

Shreyas Iyer also spoke about the pain being intense but hopes to get better soon. He earlier signed a contract with Lancashire and might represent the team in the Royal London One-Day Cup later this year depending on how quickly he recovers from the injury.