India’s new ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is facing a potential minimum three-week absence from the field due to a left rib cage injury sustained while taking a catch during the third ODI in Sydney. The incident occurred when he caught Alex Carey off Harshit Rana’s delivery.
It remains uncertain whether Iyer will recover in time for India’s upcoming ODI against South Africa on November 30 in Ranchi. He underwent scans during the match, revealing the need for a minimum three-week recovery period. Further assessments are pending, with the possibility of an extended absence if a hairline fracture is detected.
A source within the BCCI disclosed that Iyer will need to visit the Centre of Excellence upon his return for additional evaluation. Regarding his availability for the South Africa series, the source indicated that it is too early to determine, with the potential for a close call depending on the three-week return-to-play timeline.
Iyer, aged 30, is currently focused on ODI cricket, having taken a break from red-ball matches due to back problems. He has been sidelined from T20 cricket recently. Despite his injury setback, Iyer is close to reaching 3000 ODI runs and displayed good form in the previous series, scoring 61 runs with a new batting stance in the second ODI.
The injury occurred when Iyer successfully caught a challenging skier from Carey but landed awkwardly, causing discomfort in his left rib cage. Team physio Kamlesh Jain attended to him before he was sent for precautionary scans at the hospital. The BCCI confirmed the injury and subsequent evaluation.
In the third ODI, India secured a nine-wicket victory over Australia, with Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 121 and Virat Kohli’s 74 leading the successful chase of 237 runs.