Revealed: Why Shreyas Iyer Is Not Playing Today's Match vs Pakistan In Asia Cup 2023?

Indian middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer was left out of the Rohit Sharma-led team’s playing XI for the high-octane game against Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023. Shreyas Iyer was unavailable for selection as he sustained a back spasm just before the match started.

The Babar Azam-led team won the toss and opted to bowl first at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, September 10. The Men in Green retained the same playing XI from the last game. They picked only one specialist spinner, Shadab Khan in their lineup.

The Men in Blue made two changes to their lineup for their first Super Four clash against Pakistan. KL Rahul, who returned to the team after an injury layoff, replaced Shreyas Iyer in the playing XI. Jasprit Bumrah returned to the team after missing the last match against Nepal.

Shreyas Iyer Just Got A Back Spasm – Rohit Sharma

Speaking at the toss, Skipper Rohit Sharma explained the reason behind Shreyas Iyer‘s exclusion from the starting XI, highlighting that he missed the game due to a back spasm.

“Looking to bat first. There will be a challenge upfront, but the way we guys batted last time around gives us confidence. Every game is important for us, but one thing at a time to focus on,” Rohit said.

“(On rain delays) That’s the nature of the sport, it gave us good time to prepare and now we’ll look to play well. Two changes – Bumrah is back and one forced change, Shreyas Iyer just got a back spasm so KL Rahul comes in for him.”

Shreyas Iyer made his international comeback in the first match against Pakistan after recovering from a back injury. The right-handed batter scored just 14 runs before being dismissed by Haris Rauf. He didn’t get a chance to bat in the second match against Nepal.

India vs Pakistan Playing XI

India: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf

Also read: IND vs PAK: Piyush Chawla Speaks On Shreyas Iyer’s Place In India’s ODI World Cup 2023 Squad, Says ‘His Place Should Also Be Questioned’