Shreyas Iyer doubtful for 2023 ODI World Cup due to slow recovery; KL Rahul set to feature in 2023 Asia Cup - Reports 

Team India batter Shreyas Iyer is struggling to recover smoothly following surgery to rectify a back injury and is seen as a potential doubt for the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup in October-November window.

Iyer had been struggling with his back for quite a while before he opted for surgery, much like his teammate Jasprit Bumrah. The middle-order batter missed the first Border-Gavaskar series Test in February and was ruled out of the subsequent ODI series as well as the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

On the other hand, there is optimism surrounding KL Rahul's recovery from injury and he is likely to make his return at the 2023 Asia Cup in August-September. The wicket-keeper batsman is vital to Team India's plans for the World Cup, especially with Rishabh Pant seemingly out of contention.

KL Rahul suffered an injury midway through the 2023 IPL season with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and travelled to England for surgery, missing the World Test Championship (WTC) Final in the process. A senior BCCI Official told Inside Sport:

“Rahul’s recovery is going well. He should be fit in a month or so. Return from surgery is always tricky and he is a very important player for World Cup. Iyer’s progress is slow but we are still hopeful that he will recover by World Cup. But at this moment, it’s not a certainty with Iyer."

The official added:

“Ideally, we would want him to play some matches going into World Cup. Asia Cup is the perfect platform. But if he is 100% fit, Ireland is where we can see his fitness. It all depends on how he recovers. With Iyer, we have to give him time."

The Men in Blue have a handful of matches prior to the World Cup across formats, which include a tour of the West Indies, the Asia Cup, a short T20I series against Ireland and a home ODI series against Australia.

Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson likely options to replace Shreyas Iyer in the ODI playing XI

Shreyas Iyer has been a crucial part of the ODI playing XI at No. 4, returning solid numbers across the opportunities he was given. In his absence, the management are considering promoting either one of Suryakumar Yadav or Sanju Samson. The duo are well in the plans for the ODIs and are part of the ODI squad for the upcoming West Indies series.

Since the aforementioned players are solid players of spin bowling, they are expected to fill the void left by Shreyas Iyer in the World Cup squad. While Suryakumar Yadav recorded three successive golden ducks during the ODI series against Australia, he has found his form back through the 2023 IPL season.

Will Shreyas Iyer be fit in time for the 2023 ODI World Cup? Let us know what you think.