Shreyas Iyer sustained an abdominal injury during the ODI series against Australia in October. India’s ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer had his first batting game since the injury in Mumbai on December 24 and the right-hander is now heading to the BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. It is learned that Iyer batted for almost an hour without any discomfort and is working towards a return to competitive cricket.He last featured in the ODI series versus Australia in October, where a blunt abdominal injury forced him to miss the entire Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the ODIs versus South Africa. At this stage, it is difficult to put a date on his return, but it is understood that the 31-year-old is pushing for a return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but the timelines will be finalized at the CoE.
Shreyas Iyer made his first public appearance post injury, spotted with Preity Zinta
“Shreyas Iyer had a very unfortunate injury in Australia and has missed a lot of competitive cricket as a result. The good sign is that he is pain-free at the moment and batted without problems in Mumbai on Wednesday. India will play New Zealand and while it may still be touch and go, a return in the later stages of the Vijay Hazare Trophy cannot be ruled out at this stage,” he told a BCCI privy official.Iyer is likely to spend “four to six” days at the CoE in Bengaluru and his schedule is likely to be cleared during this period. He has already resumed regular gym and fitness training and all post-injury tests and assessments have shown no cause for concern.“He has already returned to regular training in the gym. So there are no warning signs at the moment, but everything depends on the CoE assessment. He will be there for four to six days. Like every player, he will not be rushed back, but efforts will be directed towards his quick return,” added the official.India’s next ODIs vs New Zealand from 11th January and the squad for the series is likely to be announced in early January – around 2nd or 3rd. Iyer is touch and go when it comes to these fixtures but it can’t be completely ruled out at this stage.
