Shreyas ruled out of 3-match ODI series against NZ with back injury

MUMBAI: Star Team India batter Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the upcoming 3-match ODI series against New Zealand due to a back injury, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Tuesday.

"He will be heading to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for further assessment and management. The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Rajat Patidar as a replacement for Shreyas Iyer," BCCI said in an official statement.

India will play the first ODI against New Zealand in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

A prolific scorer for Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket, Patidar is uncapped at the international level but had a breakthrough IPL season last year.

He also scored 186 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022/23 at a strike rate of 122.36.

The New Zealand home series will feature three T20Is and three ODIs. India will begin the series with the 50-over matches starting January 18.

The T20 series will commence on January 27 and end on February 1.

Iyer ended 2022 with 1,609 international runs at an average of 48.75, scoring one century and 14 half-centuries, with a best of an unbeaten 113. In five Test matches, Iyer scored 422 runs across eight innings at an average of 60.28, with four half-centuries. He ended year 2022 with the best Test score of 92.

India's updated ODI squad against New Zealand: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KS Bharat (wk), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Rajat Patidar, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj and Umran Malik.