Good news finally arrives for Shreyas Iyer after his scary injury incident in Australia, as reports indicate that his rehab and recovery process has begun with a visit to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence this week.
Sources spoke to Times of India and indicated that Iyer’s recovery begins with gym sessions and some net sessions at the NCA’s centre in Bengaluru, which is concurrently hosting some Vijay Hazare Trophy games and was the venue for Virat Kohli’s return to the tournament earlier this week.
The report states that before travelling to Bengaluru, Iyer took some batting practice in Mumbai, and was able to bat for close to an hour without experiencing pain or discomfort. Iyer had injured his abdomen while completing a remarkable catch in the third and final ODI of the Australia series, played at the SCG, and has subsequently missed a key series against South Africa as well as the VHT for Mumbai.
While Iyer was originally expected to be waylaid for an extended period due to a lacerated spleen, the report indicates that the timeline might be more positive, with a potential return to action in the VHT on the cards.
“The good sign is that he is pain free at the moment and batted without any trouble in Mumbai on Wednesday,” said a BCCI source to TOI. “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.”
‘No red flags’ in early recovery process
Further, Iyer has already begun physical work and has shown positive signs in terms of his health, after some concerning episodes in the immediate aftermath of the injury.
The visit to the CoE will be used to assess his progress and create a timetable for his return, with the batter being a key figure at number 4 in the ODI team and as captain of the Punjab Kings in the IPL. Iyer was recently spotted at the PBKS table in this month’s IPL auction in Abu Dhabi.
“He is already back to regular training in the gym. So no red flags there at the moment but all depends on the CoE assessment. He will be there for anywhere between four to six days,” explained the source. “Like with every player, he won’t be rushed back but efforts will be directed towards his speedy return.”
In Iyer’s absence, Ruturaj Gaikwad earned the chance to bat at number four against South Africa, and stepped up with a maiden ODI century despite batting out of position. Gaikwad has since dropped into the middle order for Maharashtra in the VHT, and is expected to retain his spot in next month’s series against the Kiwis.
