• Wion
  • /Sports
  • /Shreyas Iyer ruled out of the New Zealand series due to back injury

Shreyas Iyer ruled out of the New Zealand series due to back injury

Shreyas Iyer ruled out of the New Zealand series due to back injury

Rajat Patidar will replace injured Shreyas Iyer in India's squad

Indian batter Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand due to a back injury, informed BCCI on Tuesday.

The Indian batting mainstay will be enrolling at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for further tests. He has been replaced by Madhya Pradesh and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter Rajat Patidar.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"Team India batter Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the upcoming 3-match ODI series against New Zealand due to a back injury. He will be heading to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for further assessment and management," read the official statement by BCCI.

The first ODI is scheduled to take place tomorrow at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The right-hander's absence is expected to be felt as he has been one of the most consistent performers in the format and has carried the team single-handedly on occasions.

Last year, Iyer scored 724 runs in 15 innings with one century and six fifties to his name. His average stood at 55.69 with a strike rate above 90.

Read more: IND vs NZ 1st ODI preview: India vs New Zealand 1st ODI match time, venue, playing XI & live streaming details

It remains uncertain when Iyer will be making a comeback. He has been selected for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy and was all set to occupy a position in the middle order.

Some reports have suggested that Iyer may join the preparatory camp in Nagpur ahead of the first Test match on February 9.

Read more: India announce squad for Border-Gavaskar trophy; SKY makes the cut in Test cricket

Iyer's replacement Patidar will have the golden opportunity to prove his mettle if he gets a place in the starting XI. The RCB batter has scored 1646 runs in 51 List A games with a strike rate of 97.45 and an average of 34.33.

India's updated ODI squad against New Zealand:

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KS Bharat (wk), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Rajat Patidar, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: