Blow to Delhi Capitals as injured skipper Shreyas Iyer likely to miss entire IPL

Express News Service
CHENNAI: In a major blow to Delhi Capitals, their captain Shreyas Iyer is likely to miss the entire edition of the IPL with a labrum tear. The middle-order batsman is set to undergo a surgery in a day or two which will sideline him for at least three to four months as India are keeping their fingers crossed about his availability for the T20 World Cup.

Shreyas injured his left shoulder during the eighth over of England’s innings on Tuesday and was immediately taken for scans. “Shreyas Iyer subluxated his left shoulder in the 8th over while fielding. He has been taken for further scans and won’t take any further part in the game,” the BCCI had said in a statement.

However, the scan reports on Wednesday revealed that the injury is a lot worse than originally feared. It is learnt that the batsman has suffered a labrum tear in his left shoulder which may have not necessarily been caused by of the dive he put in on Tuesday as it is common with athletes who do weightlifting and over the head activities like throwing. “He has suffered a labrum tear which requires operation. If it is a Grade 1 level tear, adequate rest would have been sufficient. But since it is on the higher side, he has been advised to get under the knife,” sources familiar with the development told The New Indian Express.

Athletes who suffer a labrum tear usually take around 12 weeks to begin the rehabilitation programme and it takes around  4-6 months for the injury to be fully healed.

The development will be a major blow to Delhi Capitals who now have to look for a new captain for the season. The franchise which made it to the final last season has amongst its ranks Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan and Steve Smith, who have all led various franchises in the past.  Rishabh Pant, who has been Shreyas’s deputy in the past, could also be in the running.

Shreyas took over as Delhi captain in 2018, making him one of the youngest in the tournament. The injury means Shreyas will miss the IPL and could also miss the Royal London Cup in July where he is signed up to represent Lancashire. A confirmation from the BCCI is expected anytime soon.