Shreyas Iyer to have back surgery, out of IPL 2023 and WTC final

India batter Shreyas Iyer will undergo surgery on his injured back and will therefore miss the entire 2023 IPL, and the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June.

ESPNcricinfo has learned that Iyer, who's Kolkata Knight Riders' full-time captain at the IPL, will be travelling overseas for the surgery and is expected to be out for at least three months before he resumes training.

An impinged nerve caused by a bulged disc in the lower back area on the right side has troubled Iyer ever since he returned from the Bangladesh series last December. Despite taking about six injections, Iyer continued to experience discomfort which initially ruled him out of the white-ball series at home in January against Sri Lanka as well as the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in February. Iyer then returned to play the following two Tests of the Australia series but did not come out to bat in the first innings of the final Test in Ahmedabad and was eventually ruled out of the match.

Iyer was then ruled out of the first half of IPL after seeking guidance from medical experts. While the Knight Riders hoped he would return for the second half of the season, it is learned he has not been able to train at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore where he is undergoing rehab under the care of BCCI's medical staff.

Nitish Rana was named interim Knight Riders captain in Iyer's place ahead of IPL 2023.