India middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand because of a back injury. He has been replaced in the squad by Madhya Pradesh and RCB batter Rajat Patidar.
It is learned that Iyer reported a stiff back immediately after the final ODI of the series against Sri Lanka on Sunday. Keeping in mind he is part of the Test squad for the series against Australia in February, BCCI's medical staff decided to ask him to head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru as a precautionary measure. As it stands Iyer, who reached NCA on Monday, is scheduled to rejoin the India squad in Nagpur for a preparatory camp ahead of the first Test against Australia on February 9.
Iyer made scores of 28, 28 and 38 batting at No. 4 in India's 3-0 victory in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. He is India's second highest run-scorer in ODIs since 2022, after Shubman Gill, scoring 818 at an average of 51.12 and strike rate of 92.95.
His replacement in the ODI squad, Patidar, is yet to make his international debut. Patidar, 29, was part of the squad for the ODI series in Bangladesh last December but did not get a game. He has 1648 runs in 51 List A games at an average of 34.33 and strike rate of 97.45.
Iyer's absence could give Suryakumar Yadav the chance of a consistent run in the ODI side. Suryakumar played only the third ODI against Sri Lanka, scoring 4 off 4 balls at No. 6.
India's first ODI against New Zealand is on January 18 in Hyderabad, followed by games in Raipur (January 21) and Indore (January 24).
India's updated ODI squad against New Zealand
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KS Bharat (wk), Hardik Pandya (vc), Rajat Patidar, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik.