MUMBAI: Shreyas Iyer will miss Mumbai’s next Ranji Trophy match, against Tripura at Agartala from October 26. Iyer did not travel with the Mumbai team to Agartala on Wednesday morning.
“Iyer had mailed the Mumbai chief selector (Sanjay Patil), asking for a one-match break, so we have given him a break for this match,” Mumbai Cricket Association secretary Abhay Hadap told TOI.
However, a reliable source in the MCA revealed that Iyer has decided to skip this match has he is suffering from a shoulder injury.
“Yes, Iyer complained of shoulder pain after the last match (against Maharashtra at the MCA ground in BKC. He scored 142 in the first innings) and went for an MRI scan. He has been advised ‘rest’ for around 10 days. He should be fine for Mumbai’s next match after this,” the source said.
Iyer should thus be fit and available for Mumbai’s Ranji match against Odisha from November 6 at BKC.
The 29-year-old India batsman had undergone shoulder surgery in April 2021 to treat a partially dislocated left shoulder, an injury which forced him to miss the second of the IPL and the T20 World Cup later that year.
Talking to reporters after scoring a century in the last Ranji match, Iyer had said that he had played seven consecutive domestic matches, and mentioned that he needed to rest his body, regardless of what others might think. “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),” he had said.
The MCA had announced a 16-member squad for Tripura on Monday, leaving out opener Prithvi Shaw on “fitness grounds.” No replacement has been made for Iyer so far.
This injury is the latest blow to Iyer’s career. The Mumbaikar had spent a considerable time out of the game due to a back injury for which he had to ultimately undergo a back surgery in London. He played in both the Asia Cup and the World Cup, but lost his spot in the Indian team in both the Test and T20 formats.
After scoring a ton against Maharashtra-his first in first-class cricket since 2021-Iyer pressed hope for a national comeback. “Absolutely! That’s why I’ve been playing. I mean, or else I would have given a reason and sat out,” Iyer responded, when quizzed about whether there was still a drive in him to wear the white jersey. “I am absolutely keen for a comeback but yes, as we say, control the controllables, and my job is to keep performing and keep participating (in matches) as much as possible and also see that my body is in the best shape. So, I’ll take the best decision possible according to that,” stressed the 29-year-old.
“I’m in a good space right now. I’m doing what I’m meant to do, that is training and playing matches consistently and I feel that all the matches I’ve played right now have helped me gain that fitness level as well, along with my training program. So, this is my seventh match on the trot, and the body has taken a lot of load at the same time. So, we have to manage here and there and see to it that I strategize in terms of how I play,” he had said.
Having suffered from serious injuries to his shoulder and back that required surgeries, Iyer had said that he has now become “smart” in terms of managing his body as a cricketer. “See, now I have to be smart in terms of what decisions I make. I need to see to it that my body is in the best shape possible. I have to decide according to that, no matter what people think. I have to listen to my body because I know the amount of threshold I have 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),” Iyer explained.
