"You know it's World Cup year when India has problem with No.4" - Twitter reacts to reports of Shreyas Iyer needing back surgery

Team India's World Cup preparations have been dealt a serious jolt with reports emerging of Shreyas Iyer likely to undergo surgery for his troublesome back.

This is likely to keep him out of action from the entirety of IPL 2023, where he was set to lead the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), as well as the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at The Oval in London on June 7.

Shreyas has been a pivotal cog in the Indian middle order in ODIs and Tests over the last 12 months and more. A back injury kept him out of the ODIs against New Zealand in January, as well as the first Test against Australia the following month.

Although he returned to play the next three Tests, he complained of pain in his lower back in the middle of the Ahmedabad Test. The right-handed batter was sent for scans and did not take part in the contest with the bat.

This latest development has compounded India's woes as they sweat over the fitness timeline of Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah.

Fans of both Team India and KKR were evidently left worried ahead of the IPL, the WTC final and the ODI World Cup later in the year.

Here's how they reacted:

Shreyas Iyer was India's leading run-getter in ODIs in 2022

With 724 runs from 15 innings at an average of 55.69 and a strike rate of 91.52, Shreyas was India's most successful batter in ODIs in 2022. The fact that he scored seven half-centuries and a century in this period is a testament to his consistency in a difficult role in the middle order.

He has often bailed India out of strife and gone on to steer them to victory in both Tests and ODIs. With Rishabh Pant's unfortunate car accident also ruling him out of action for a considerable period of time, the Men in Blue are now clutching at straws to secure their middle order for the ODI World Cup to be played at home later this year.

Pant and Shreyas aren't the only ones out of action with injuries either. Fast-bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna have both undergone surgery, having suffered stress fractures in the back, and have been ruled out of IPL 2023.

Time will tell if any of the aforementioned players can win the race against time to be fit for the World Cup.

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Who should India consider as Shreyas Iyer's replacement in the middle order for the ODI setup? Have your say in the comments section below!

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