India batter Shreyas Iyer will arrive in Jaipur on Sunday and will feature in Mumbai’s next two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, confirmed Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar.
Iyer has successfully completed the final phase of his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. After being cleared for a return to competitive cricket, he is set to play in Mumbai’s last two league matches against Himachal Pradesh and Punjab on January 6 and 8, respectively.
“Shreyas will go to Jaipur tomorrow and will play the last two matches of this ongoing competition after getting the necessary clearance from the CoE. It’s definitely a very, very big boost for the Mumbai team,” Khanvilkar stated on Saturday.
These two games hold significant importance for Iyer as he is included in the squad for the ODI series against New Zealand, starting on January 11 in Vadodara, pending fitness clearance. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar and committee member RP Singh will be in attendance to assess his performance.
Iyer, who serves as India’s ODI vice-captain, suffered a serious spleen laceration while attempting to take a diving catch of Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey during the third ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 25.
Subsequent scans in a Sydney hospital revealed internal bleeding that necessitated immediate hospitalization and intensive care. He underwent a minor surgical procedure to control the bleeding and was closely monitored by medical specialists in both Australia and India, including the Indian team doctor, before he eventually flew back home.
After a rest period, Iyer participated in rehabilitation sessions and further tests before resuming lightweight gym training. On December 24, he resumed batting for approximately 30-45 minutes at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) nets in Mumbai, where he showed no signs of discomfort.
Since December 25, Iyer has been at the BCCI Centre of Excellence for further assessment of his recovery. He even participated in a practice game before receiving the green signal to resume playing.
“Shreyas went through a lot of simulation tests at the CoE and did well. He only had one problem to overcome, which was related to his weight. Due to the injury, his weight had reduced, and he wasn’t getting the power in his shots. But in the last few days, that aspect was worked out, and he’s now fit to play,” a source tracking Iyer’s recovery revealed.