Ranji Trophy semifinal, TN vs Mumbai: Shreyas Iyer trolled after he flops on return to domestic cricket

Shreyas Iyer, the out-of-favour India batter, struggled to make an impact with the bat during the Ranji Trophy semifinal clash between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu on Sunday. Playing for Mumbai, the 41-time champions, Iyer fell prey to Tamil Nadu pacer Sandeep Warrier's delivery after scoring just 3 runs in the first innings.

The match, held at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC in Mumbai, witnessed Mumbai losing their skipper Ajinkya Rahane following a brief 43-run partnership with Musheer Khan. However, Iyer couldn't halt Tamil Nadu's resurgence and was clean bowled by Warrier shortly after his captain's dismissal. Mumbai found themselves struggling at 96/5 at that juncture.

Tamil Nadu skipper B Sai Kishore spearheaded the bowling attack, orchestrating a fightback after Mumbai's Tushar Deshpande and Shardul Thakur starred on the opening day. Tamil Nadu had a lackluster performance on Day 1, being bundled out for a mere 146 in the first innings.

On the second day, Sai Kishore (5/31 in 20 overs) completed his five-wicket haul as Mumbai faced difficulty at 125/7 by lunchtime. Nevertheless, Mumbai succeeded in narrowing down a significant portion of the first-innings deficit and trailed the visitors by only 21 runs by the end of the first session on Day 2.

For Iyer, it turned out to be a disappointing outing as he returned to domestic cricket after failing to secure a BCCI central contract. Regrettably, he couldn't deliver in the initial innings.

The decision to exclude Iyer and Ishan Kishan from the central contract list has sparked debate among fans and experts. Many believe that their omission could set an example for younger cricketers, encouraging them to prioritize red-ball cricket over the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Earlier, Iyer had opted out of a Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai citing a back issue. However, a report in The Indian Express suggested that the National Cricket Academy (NCA) provided conflicting fitness assessments regarding his condition.

Amidst ongoing discussions, multiple media outlets have reported that Shreyas Iyer participated in a pre-Indian Premier League (IPL) camp organized by the Kolkata Knight Riders. This action appears to have stirred controversy among the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors, who are responsible for recommending players for central contracts.

As per a report published by Revsportz, Iyer visited the KKR Academy with the intention of enhancing his workload.

"After playing 60 balls in a session, his back was building spasms. He had to build up his resistance. Now he is playing 200 balls per session. In three weeks, he has put on three kilos of muscles. The Mumbai Cricket Association and the Mumbai team head coach (Omkar Salvi) have been kept in the loop. In fact, the Mumbai coach visited the KKR Academy several times to monitor Iyer's progress. And now he has made himself available for the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Tamil Nadu," the person said on conditions on anonymity.

"He skipped the IPL to play the World Cup. Even after the surgery, he took three painkiller injections to be pain-free for the World Cup. And yet, the pain returned during the semi-final and the final, and he played through it. Iyer was the only player who wasn't given a break after the World Cup. He played the home T20I series against Australia and then went to South Africa. After returning from South Africa, he was asked to play a Ranji game in January, ahead of the first two Tests against England. He did that. Doesn't a player have the liberty to train under a coach of his choice?"