Shreyas Iyer’s return to competitive cricket has been delayed, making him likely to miss the ODI series against New Zealand due to significant weight loss and reduced strength after surgery for a spleen injury sustained in Australia.
Team India ODI vice-captain and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer’s return to competitive cricket has been further delayed as he is likely to miss the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, starting on January 11. Iyer has been out of action since October after he sustained a spleen injury in his abdomen during the third and final ODI of the three-match series against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground.
Iyer was reported to have internal bleeding, which was detected and treated immediately, stabilising his condition. The 31-year-old spent a week in the hospital before he was discharged. Shreyas Iyer continued his recovery in Sydney for a few more days before returning home. In Sydney, India’s ODI vice-captain was under the observation of a team of doctors and the BCCI medical team.
Due to the injury, Shreyas Iyer missed the ODI series against South Africa. He is not part of the T20I plans and took a six-month break from red-ball cricket to manage recurring back issues and stiffness, focusing on building endurance and improving fitness, as confirmed by the BCCI.
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Shreyas Iyer Loses 6 Kg Post-Surgery
Shreyas Iyer has reportedly begun batting in the nets and rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. However, the Punjab Kings skipper’s return to competitive cricket has been further delayed due to rapid weight loss after his surgery on the spleen, where he sustained a life-threatening injury in Sydney.
According to the report by the Times of India (TOI), a BCCI official stated that Iyer has lost 6 kilos of weight, adding that weakness in his mass muscle has affected his strength levels. The report suggested that the medical team will not be taking any chances since he is an important player in an ODI setup.
“There is no problem with his batting, but he lost around six kgs after the injury in Australia. While he has regained some weight, there has been a drop in his muscle mass, which has further affected his strength levels,” the BCCI official said.
“The medical team will not be taking any chances because he is a very important player in the ODI setup, and his complete recovery is of utmost importance right now. The selectors and management will be conveyed about his present situation before they meet to pick the team for the New Zealand ODIs,” he added.
In the Australia ODI series, Shreyas Iyer scored 72 runs at an average of 36 in two matches. After a flop show in the series opener, scoring just 11 runs at Optus Stadium in Perth, India's ODI vice-captain made a strong comeback with a 61-run innings and a 118-run partnership with former captain Rohit Sharma (73*) at Adelaide Oval.
Iyer Unavailable for Vijay Hazare Trophy Group Stage
With uncertainty looming over his return to competitive cricket in the ODI series against New Zealand, Shreyas Iyer is unlikely to feature in the group stage of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai. It was reported that Iyer was expected to make a comeback through the Vijay Hazare Trophy by featuring in two matches before his national return.
However, given his current physical condition and the BCCI medical team’s cautious approach, Iyer is likely to miss the group stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
“There were a lot of positive developments as he batted in Mumbai, went to CoE and was pushing himself to feature in the New Zealand ODIs. There were indications of him playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches on January 3 and 6, too, but we have now been told that he needs more time and will only be available from the knockout stages of the tournament,” a MCA source told TOI.
In the absence of Iyer in the three-match ODI series against South Africa, Ruturaj Gaikwad occupied the No.4 slot and scored a century in the second match. Since Shreyas Iyer is unlikely to make a comeback in the ODI series against New Zealand, Ruturaj is expected to retain his place in the squad.
