India is preparing to face Australia in a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series after winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1 at home. However, India’s middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer will miss the upcoming white-ball series due to a lower back injury for an unspecified period.
Talking about Iyer’s absence, India’s stand-in captain, Hardik Pandya, acknowledged that his unavailability would impact the team’s preparation for the 2023 World Cup, which will be hosted by India in October-November. Nevertheless, he expressed optimism that the team would find solutions and move forward.
“It is going to impact us, 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,” said Pandya ahead of the first ODI against Australia.
Regarding Iyer’s injury, Pandya said there was no timeline for his return, and the team could only hope for the best.
Pandya, who has played 169 international matches for India, also empathized with Iyer’s situation, saying, “I have been in that situation where the back could be a problem.”
The first ODI between India and Australia will take place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, where the visitors had handed India a humiliating 10-wicket defeat in their last encounter.
