Shreyas Iyer’s comeback to competitive cricket has been delayed. All seemed to be going well for the India ODI vice-captain. The 31-year-old had cleared the first Return to Play (RTP) test on December 28. However, 3 days later, the comeback date has been pushed back.
Shreyas Iyer’s comeback delayed
Having suffered a lacerated spleen with internal bleeding after a diving catch, Shreyas has lost around 6 kilograms in the last 2 months. While he’s batting beautifully in the nets, his body hasn’t recovered yet. The medical team at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) don’t think Shreyas is back at his optical strength level.
“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 muscle mass, which has further affected his optimum strength levels. The medical team will not be taking any chances because he is a very important player in the ODI set up 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,” a BCCI official told the Times of India.
Eyes on comeback in IND vs NZ ODI series
This also means that Shreyas won’t be featuring for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025-26. He was expected to play two fixtures, on January 3 and 6, but that looks unlikely.
Shreyas is expected to get fitness clearance by January 9, which is just 2 days before the India vs New Zealand ODI series commences. If there is another obstacle in his path to full fitness, he might as well miss that series and wait until June 2026 for his comeback.
“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,” said an MCA official.
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Shreyas Iyer suffers setback during rehab, doubt over comeback in IND vs NZ ODI series
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