Shreyas Iyer Out of South Africa Series As He Needs 2 Months To Recover From Injury?

Indian cricketer Shreyas Iyer cannot hit the field for a minimum of two months as he recovers from a near-fatal injury sustained during the third One-Day International (ODI) against Australia in Sydney, NDTV reported, citing BCCI sources.

As per BCCI's official statement, Iyer suffered a blunt trauma to his abdomen, resulting in a laceration of his spleen with internal bleeding.

"We are monitoring Shreyas' situation. Will go by the medical advice. As of now it looks like he will be fit to play in January. He will be kept in Sydney for as long as he gets fit to fly home," a BCCI source told NDTV.

The cricketer suffered the injury as he tried to take a tough catch. He was rushed to a Sydney hospital immediately after his condition worsened, with his vital signs dropping in the dressing room.

Following scans that confirmed internal bleeding, Iyer was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). While he has since been stabilized and moved out of the ICU, BCCI sources indicate that his return to action is not anticipated before January 2026, ruling him out of the entire upcoming series against South Africa.

According to another report in RevSportz, the two-month lay-off rules Iyer out of the three-match ODI series against South Africa next month. Furthermore, his participation in the three-game contest against New Zealand in January remains uncertain due to a lack of match practice.

Thus casting doubts on his return to the T20 World Cup squad, as the New Zealand series is expected to feature the management's final choices for the ICC tournament scheduled for February. Should Iyer miss the New Zealand ODIs, his next opportunity to play for India would be the white-ball tour of England in July next year.

BCCI secretary Devajait Saiki clarified that the 30-year-old did not undergo traditional surgery but had a "medical procedure" to stop the internal bleeding. RevSportz detailed the procedure as interventional trans-catheter embolisation, a standard method performed under image control where a small catheter is passed through an artery to block the bleeding site.