In what would come as a massive setback for the Kolkata Knight Riders outfit, captain Shreyas Iyer is likely to miss the initial phase of the cash-rich Indian Premier League. As per a report in the Times of India, Iyer’s old back injury has flared up again for which he had undergone a surgery last year. This is not good news for KKR and Iyer, who is one of the premier batters of the side. According to the report, the next few days are important as the management will keep a close watch on his progress. The Knight Riders play their tournament opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23.

“It is not looking good. It is the same back injury which has got aggravated. It is unlikely he will take the field on Day 5 of the Ranji Trophy final. He is in danger of missing the initial matches of the IPL,” a source told TOI.

Iyer is currently playing the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024 final at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. The Mumbai batter, who is making a comeback to competitive cricket, scored merely seven runs in the first essay. But in the second innings, he found his range and scored a brilliant 95 off 111 balls.