BCCI BLOCKS Shreyas Iyer’s return, denies permission at last moment

India Star batsman of the national cricket team and ODI vice-captain, Shreyas Iyersuffered a major blow as his return to competitive cricket was delayed, TOI reported on Tuesday (December 30).

Doctors at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Center of Excellence (CoE) have denied giving clearance to Shreyas Iyer to make a comeback after injury.

Shreyas Iyer’s comeback plans failed

Iyer was out for a long period after being injured during India’s tour Australia 2025, which consisted of a three-match ODI series and a five-match T20I series.

The right-handed hitter has worked quite hard for his comeback and has been training regularly in the gym and in nets. He visited the BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE) on December 25 and underwent extensive fielding, batting and fitness exercises.

The batter was expected to receive clearance from the BCCI medical team on December 30 to leave the facility and make his return to competitive cricket, but that did not happen.

His return was delayed by at least a week and he was asked to remain at the Council of Europe. The main reason why Iyer is not benefiting from Return to Play (RTP) is rapid weight loss.

Shreyas Iyer loses 6 kilos

Iyer’s abdominal injury was serious and led to the batter losing around 6 kilograms of weight. Although he managed to regain weight, his loss of muscle mass pushed his strength below optimal levels.

Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer did not face any problems with his batting, and special attention will be paid to his weight and strength issues in the coming week.

“There is nothing wrong with his striking, but he lost around six kg after his injury in Australia. Although he gained weight back, there was a drop in his muscle mass, which further affected his optimal strength level.

“The medical team will not take any chances as he is a very important player in the build-up to the ODI and his full recovery is of utmost importance at the moment. The selectors and management will be informed about his current situation before meeting to choose the team for the New Zealand ODIs,” a BCCI official told TOI.

Shreyas Iyer unlikely to feature in New Zealand ODIs

Earlier, it was reported that Iyer will make his international comeback in the ODI series against New Zealand. The three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand will be played on January 11, 14 and 18 in Vadodara, Rajkot and Indore.

“There have been a lot of positive developments as he batted in Mumbai, made it to the CoE and pushed himself to feature in the New Zealand ODIs. There were indications that he would also play the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches on January 3 and 6, but we have now been told that he needs more time and will only be available from the knockout stages of the tournament onwards,” an MCA official who is monitoring the developments told TOI.

However, Iyer will only be cleared by the BCCI medical team at the CoE on January 9, and he is unlikely to feature in New Zealand’s ODI series. Instead, he could feature in the knockout stages of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

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