3 reasons why Shreyas Iyer getting ruled out of New Zealand series is a huge blow for India

Shreyas Iyer will miss the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand due to a back injury. The BCCI confirmed his injury in a media release earlier today and stated that Rajat Patidar has replaced him in the Indian squad for the three one-dayers against the Kiwis.

Iyer has been one of the most consistent performers for the Indian team in the 50-over format. As far as his numbers in ODI cricket are concerned, Iyer has played 38 innings, scoring 1,631 runs at an average of 46.60. His strike rate is 96.51, while he has registered 14 half-centuries and two hundreds.

The series between India and New Zealand starts tomorrow at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. In this listicle, we will look at three reasons why Iyer's injury is a huge blow to the Men in Blue ahead of the series.

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#1 Shreyas Iyer was in tremendous form over the last 13 months

New Zealand v India - 3rd ODI (Image: Getty)

Shreyas Iyer has been the backbone of the Indian batting lineup in ODI cricket since the start of 2022. He played only one ODI in 2021, where he scored six runs before suffering a nasty injury. The right-handed batter made a roaring comeback in the 50-over format, scoring 724 runs in 15 innings.

Iyer scored one century and six fifties in 2022. His batting average in 2022 was 55.69, while his strike rate was more than 90. The Indian batter got off to a great start in 2023 as well, as he aggregated 94 runs at a strike rate of close to 105 in the series against Sri Lanka.

An in-form player is always beneficial for the team, which is why Iyer's absence will be a big blow to the team. Also, India will now be forced to play with a backup option on the road to the 2023 Cricket World Cup.

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#2 Shreyas Iyer has a phenomenal record in ODIs against New Zealand

Iyer has played ODI cricket against seven different teams, but his best numbers are against New Zealand, who are the number one ODI team in the world.

The Indian batter has aggregated 346 runs in just five innings against New Zealand, with his highest score being 103. Iyer knows how to score big against the Kiwi bowlers. Hence, his absence will hurt the Indian team.

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#3 Suryakumar Yadav and Rajat Patidar are yet to prove themselves in ODI cricket

Rajat Patidar, Suryakumar Yadav or KS Bharat may replace Shreyas Iyer in the Indian playing XI for the ODIs against New Zealand. None of the three players have enough ODI experience under their belt. Yadav's batting average in ODIs is less than 30, while Patidar and Bharat are yet to make their debuts.

With KL Rahul unavailable for this series as well, the Indian middle order will face a litmus test against the Kiwis. It will be interesting to see how the Indian middle order performs in the absence of Rahul and Shreyas Iyer.