Shreyas Iyer has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he’ll be taking a break from red-ball cricket. The 30-year-old recently featured for the West Zone in the Duleep Trophy and played as India A captain against Australia A.
It seems like the rigour of 4-day cricket has an impact on Shreyas’ body. The batter from Mumbai has been dealing with stiffness and fatigue issues in his back, which have forced him to take this decision.
Shreyas Iyer puts red-ball cricket on hold
Shreyas and back injury have been a long-standing issue. It was the very reason why the BCCI had axed him from their central contracts in 2024. He had claimed that he had a back injury and wouldn’t be able to feature in the Ranji Trophy, but the BCCI medical staff were adamant that Shreyas was fit.
Fearing repercussions, Shreyas has consulted with the chairman of the selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, via email before taking a break from red-ball cricket. As a result, Shreyas has already missed the India A vs Australia A second 4-day match and has virtually been ruled out of contention for India’s squad for the West Indies Test series.
“He has informed us that he (Iyer) will be taking a break from red ball cricket, and it’s good that he has cleared it out because selectors are now clear about his future. He won’t be playing red ball cricket in the coming months, and he has informed the board that he will assess his body in the future in consultation with physios and trainers and take a call on it,” a source told The Indian Express.
Shreyas has mentioned that his body can’t take the toll of first-class cricket and demands rest. He told BCCI that he was able to play the last season of the Ranji Trophy by taking breaks, but can’t do that for India A or in Test cricket. This isn’t new; Hardik Pandya had also given up on first-class cricket for injury reasons as well, to prolong his international career.
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