‘Reel banane ke liye batting kiya hoga’ – Fans react as photos of Shreyas Iyer resuming net practice go viral

Following KL Rahul’s subtle update on Instagram about returning to full fitness, there’s even more good news for India ahead of the West Indies tour. Shreyas Iyer, India’s star middle-order batter, who was sidelined due to back surgery, was finally seen batting in the nets. If speculative reports are to be believed, the way Iyer batted, he could be fit before the start of the Asia Cup 2023. The Asia Cup 2023 starts on August 31 and will be played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Shreyas Iyer suffered a back injury in the series against Australia back in March. He could not bat in the second innings of the Ahmedabad Test. Following this, the batter had to undergo surgery in England in April. Due to the same reason, Iyer was ruled out of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and then the coveted World Test Championship 2021-23 final against Australia at the Oval, London. He was also kept out of the recently released squads for the multi-format tour of the West Indies and the USA. However, following the recent update, hopes have strengthened for his comeback in or before the Asia Cup 2023.

ODI World Cup 2023 remains the long-term goal for Shreyas Iyer

However, the bigger picture still remains the ODI World Cup, to be held in India between October and November. Shreyas Iyer is a crucial player in the number four position. His importance has heightened after the unavailability of India’s key middle-order batter Rishabh Pant. India would like as many options as possible to choose from. Experienced campaigners like KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are very important additions to India’s arsenal. They’d be expected to play a part in the World Cup if they return to match fitness.

Earlier, an Indian Cricket Board official had opined, ‘”KL 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.”

Here’s how fans reacted:

https://twitter.com/AkshatOM10/status/1678771416647467012