"It's Going To Impact": Hardik Pandya On Missing This Star Player vs Australia

The recurrence of Shreyas Iyer's lower back injury will certainly impact India's World Cup preparations, feels stand-in ODI captain Hardik Pandya. Iyer has been ruled out of the Australia series due to lower back injury and he might be out for an indefinite period. With an average of 46 plus and a strike of nearly 97, Iyer has been an indispensable part of the ODI set-up. "Obviously there is no timeline but we have to hope for the best," Pandya told the media in Mumbai on Thursday evening. Pandya himself had a long lay-off between 2019 and 2020 after undergoing a back surgery.

"I have been in that situation where the back could be a problem," he said, recalling his own injury that kept him away from the Indian side for a long period. He had no hesitation in admitting that it would impact India's combination during the three-match series but they also, at the same time, need to figure out possible solutions.

"It is going to impact, obviously we are going to miss him but we will have to slowly start finding solutions if he is not around (for a long time).

"If he is around he is more than welcome but if he is not then there is a lot of time to think about it and see how we can go forward," Pandya added.

India fielding coach T Dilip had officially confirmed on Wednesday that middle-order batter Iyer has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia, starting Friday, due to the recurrence of a lower-back injury.

It is learned that there is almost negligible chance of the stylish Mumbaikar taking any part in the Indian Premier League for KKR. Iyer leads KKR in the cash-rich league. He is currently back in NCA for extensive rehabilitation but it couldn't be confirmed whether he would also require surgery like Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna.

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