‘Grateful to be back’ - Shreyas Iyer thanks fans for support during recovery

India’s middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer expressed his gratitude for the immense support and care he received during his recovery from a serious injury sustained on the recent tour of Australia. The update marks a major boost for Team India, as Iyer continues his road to full fitness after being hospitalised in Sydney with a laceration to the spleen and internal bleeding following the third ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 25.

The injury occurred when Iyer took a catch running backwards from point to dismiss Alex Carey and immediately clutched his rib cage in pain. The 30-year-old was promptly taken off the field and did not return for the remainder of the match. Subsequent scans at a Sydney hospital revealed internal bleeding and a ruptured spleen, necessitating emergency surgery.

"Sun's been a great therapy. Grateful to be back, Thanks for all the love and care," wrote Iyer on his Instagram account on Monday, November 10.

Check the screenshot of Shreyas Iyer's Instagram story here

In a statement released on November 1, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that Iyer had been discharged from a Sydney hospital, with medical specialists in both Australia and India expressing satisfaction with his progress. The Board also revealed that team doctor Rizwan Khan remained with Iyer throughout his hospitalization period in Sydney to oversee his treatment and recovery.

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia extended the board’s heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Kouroush Haghigi and his medical team in Sydney, as well as Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala in India, for ensuring Iyer received world-class care and medical attention during a critical phase of his recovery.

Following his discharge, Iyer has stayed back in Sydney for follow-up consultations with his medical team. As per the latest updates, he is expected to return to India soon. However, the right-hander will remain out of action for the next few months as he focuses on complete recovery and regaining match fitness before making his international comeback.

It will be interesting to see if he is added to the squad for ODI series against South Africa, where India will be hosting the Proteas for three games. The series will begin on November 30 with the opening match to be played in Ranchi. The next two games will be played on December 3 and December 6 in Raipur and Visakhapatnam, respectively.