Team India batter Shreyas Iyer has rejected reports claiming he is injured and will miss Mumbai’s upcoming 2024-25 Ranji Trophy match against Tripura, set to begin on October 26. The 29-year-old, who has previously faced back injuries, recently shared his relief at being fully fit.
Iyer participated in Mumbai’s first two Ranji matches against Baroda and Maharashtra, accumulating 172 runs across three innings at an average exceeding 57. He played a crucial role in Mumbai’s victory over Maharashtra with a standout 142, helping them win by nine wickets.
After various websites circulated injury reports on October 22, Iyer responded on his X account the next morning, addressing the claims about his unavailability.
“Guys seriously let’s do some homework before publishing news,” Iyer wrote.
https://x.com/shreyasiyer15/status/1848917104742879578?s=46
Iyer had back surgery last year and made his comeback to the Indian team for the 2023 Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup. However, due to injuries and poor performance, he lost his spot on the Indian Test team after the second match of the home series against England earlier this year.
Additionally, he was not awarded a BCCI contract for missing a Ranji match last season. Despite these setbacks, Iyer guided the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third title in the 2024 IPL in May.
“I have to pay attention to my body, regardless of what others think”- Shreyas Iyer
In a post-match interview following his century against Maharashtra, Shreyas Iyer stated that he has tuned out the external chatter about his ongoing back injuries. He expressed contentment with his current condition and emphasized that he is focused on maintaining his optimal fitness.
Iyer remarked, as reported by Cricbuzz:
“No matter whatever people think outside, I have to listen to my body because I know the amount of threshold I’ve carried over the last few years and based on that I’ll be taking the right decision and I hope that my team will also back (me). But I’m in a good space right now. I’m doing what I’m meant to do, that is training and playing matches consistently.”
He added:
“And I feel that all the matches I’ve played right now in the past have helped me gain that fitness level. This is my seventh match on the trot and yeah, the body has taken a lot of load. We have to manage here and there and see to it that I strategize in terms of how I play.”
Iyer’s final match for India was during the 0-2 ODI series defeat in Sri Lanka this past August.
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