After a three-month spleen injury layoff, Shreyas Iyer returned in style, leading Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a captain’s 82 off 53 balls, signaling readiness for the New Zealand ODIs and boosting Team India with his form and fitness soon.
Team India ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer made a brilliant comeback to competitive cricket as a Mumbai skipper in the sixth round of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025/26 against Himachal Pradesh at the Jaipuriya Vidhalaya Ground in Jaipur on Wednesday, January 6.
Shreyas Iyer was out of action for almost three months after sustaining a spleen injury during the third and final ODI of the three-match series against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in October last year. The 31-year-old underwent surgery on the spleen due to laceration and bleeding, and spent a week in Sydney hospital before he was discharged. Iyer continued his recovery in Sydney before returning to India.
Due to injury, Shreyas Iyer missed the ODI series against South Africa and withdrew from playing red-ball cricket for six months last year due to persistent back issues, for which he underwent surgery in April 2023. He is currently not in the scheme of things for T20Is, as he was not picked in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup.
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Iyer Makes Statement before International Comeback
Shreyas Iyer was picked in the India squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting on January 11. Before making an international return, Iyer was given the green signal by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to feature in Mumbai’s remaining two Group Stage matches of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy season.
There was an uncertainty over his early return due to loss of weight and muscle mass following spleen surgery, but the Punjab Kings captain was cleared by the BCCI medical team at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru after completing the board’s return-to-play protocol, allowing him to feature in VHT matches before linking with India squad for the ODI series against New Zealand.
Shreyas Iyer did not disappoint in his first competitive match since October last year, as he played a captain's knock of 82 off 53 balls, completing fifty in just 36 balls, to guide Mumbai to 299/9 in 50 overs against Himachal Pradesh.
His 82-run stand for the fourth wicket with Musheer Khan (73) and then a 65-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Suryakumar Yadav (34) helped Mumbai recover and post a competitive total. Shreyas Iyer’s comeback innings after almost three months of injury layoff consisted of 10 fours and 3 sixes, and he batted at an impressive strike rate of 154.72. His innings sent a strong message about his readiness and form ahead of the New Zealand ODI series.
Major Boost for Team India ahead of NZ ODI Series
Shreyas Iyer’s comeback knock of 82 off 53 balls would have assured the team management about his form and fitness ahead of the ODI series against New Zealand. Iyer was included in the India squad as vice-captain, with his availability subject to fitness clearance, and his fluent knock for Mumbai in the VHT match against Himachal Pradesh appears to have put any lingering doubts to rest.
In the absence of Shreyas Iyer from the ODI series against South Africa, Ruturaj Gaikwad came in as his replacement and scored a century in the Raipur ODI. However, with the return of the Mumbai batter, Ruturaj had to make way, as Iyer is expected to slot back into India’s middle order, providing experience and stability.
Shreyas Iyer’s performance in his competitive return after a 2-month injury layoff left fans excited, with the Mumbai batter appearing fully prepared to resume his role in India’s middle order ahead of the New Zealand ODI series.
Shreyas Iyer has been India’s reliable middle-order batter, with his performance in the ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy last year, where he emerged as the Men in Blue’s highest run-getter with 243 runs, underlining his importance in the 50-over setup. Iyer is expected to be in India’s long-term ODI plans in the build-up to the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
In his ODI career, Shreyas Iyer has amassed 2917 runs, including 5 centuries and 23 fifties, at an average of 47.81 in 73 matches.
