India’s middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer, who suffered a recurrence of lower back injury during the Ahmedabad Test against Australia, is doubtful for participation in at least the first half of 2023 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). A report by ESPNCricinfo on Wednesday said Iyer, who was pulled out mid-way from India’s fourth Test against Australia at Ahmedabad, has opted out of surgery for injury and has been advised to rest as he continues his rehab. Iyer had missed the ODIs against New Zealand as well as the first Test against Australia due to the injury. Though he did play in the second and third Tests against Australia, Iyer suffered a relapse of the lower back injury after day three’s play and was taken for scans. It meant he did not come out to bat in India’s only innings of the drawn Test match and was subsequently ruled out of ODIs against Australia. The report also said Iyer experienced discomfort in back just after the tour of Bangladesh ended last year in December. “Iyer’s issues, it is learned, concern a bulge in one of the discs in his spine, which has resulted in an impinged nerve.” “The nerve runs along the right leg and has caused shooting pain in Iyer’s calf, which is compounded by mobility issues. It is understood that Iyer has been given six injections in the recent past to help numb the pain in his back,” it added. The report further said Iyer consulted a spine surgeon in Mumbai and was presented with two options: first was to take rest, rehab and wait for the pain to subside before resuming strength and conditioning as well as mobility exercises, followed by the second option being surgery. “It is understood that the BCCI medical staff even consulted a London-based specialist, who had carried out Hardik Pandya’s back surgery, for a second opinion. The London expert, too, advised to stick the first option.” “Iyer has told the BCCI medical staff that he wants to explore options before taking the final call on surgery. He has also