In a big boost to Team India, their star batter Shreyas Iyer is well on his way to recovery after picking up a life-threatening injury during ODI series against Australia. Iyer has taken a massive step toward his competitive return.
Massive injury update on Shreyas Iyer
On December 24, the 31-year-old completed his first formal batting session in Mumbai since the gruesome injury during the tour of Australia. According to reports from the Times of India, Iyer batted for nearly an hour and, most importantly, experienced no pain or discomfort.
ALSO READ: Watch: Virat Kohli's craze hits new high as fans climb trees to witness his Vijay Hazare Trophy ton
Iyer to play Vijay Hazare Trophy
Following this successful session, the Mumbai-born batter is traveling to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru to further his rehabilitation. While an exact date for his return to the field has not yet been established, Iyer is reportedly eager to expedite the process. He is currently pushing to feature in the ongoing 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy to regain match fitness ahead of the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand.
"Shreyas lyer had a very unfortunate injury in Australia and it made him miss a lot of competitive cricket. The good sign is that he is pain free at the moment and batted without any trouble in Mumbai on Wednesday. India next play New Zealand and while that could still be touch and go, a return in the later stages of Vijay Hazare Trophy can't be ruled out at this stage," a BCCI source told TOI.
Iyer’s recovery appears to be progressing smoothly, as he has already returned to his regular gym and fitness routines. Encouragingly, all post-injury scans and medical assessments have come back clear, showing no causes for alarm or setbacks in his physical rehabilitation.
With India’s next ODI series against New Zealand scheduled to begin on January 11, the timing for his return is tight.