'Never imagined playing Asia Cup' - Shreyas Iyer after making international return

India batter Shreyas Iyer expressed that he was quite doubtful to play in the Asia Cup considering his recovery went slow. Notably, Shreyas sustained a back injury during the fourth and final Test against Australia in March.

Following the injury, Shreyas underwent surgery in London in April before heading to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for a three-month rehabilitation. After missing out on the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, the World Test Championship final against Australia and the multi-format series against the West Indies, Shreyas made his much-awaited return to international cricket thorugh the Asia Cup.

"It's fantastic and I never imagined playing Asia Cup because the recovery was going slow and steadily. But I was really happy when selected in the team. I'm completely fine and we are just going to take it as the next game," Shreyas was quoted as saying by India Today.

Delighted to be playing against Pakistan's bowlers: Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas also spoke on the prospect of facing Pakistan's pace trio in the tournament. Notably, India and Pakistan have a potential three games to play in the tournament should they qualify for the Super 4 and the final. 

"There are always nerves when playing in an India vs Pakistan game and we are confident in our preparations. They (Pakistan) have been playing good cricket in recent times. We are really privileged to be a part of this game, led by Rohit Sharma. Delighted to be playing against Pakistan's bowlers. The plan is to be in the present and play according to the situation,” he added.

Also Check: Asia Cup 2023 Live Updates

Shreyas has featured in 42 ODIs and collected 1631 runs, lacing it with 14 fifties and two centuries at an average of 46.60. The batter will look to have a solid campaign in the ACC event before turning his attention towards the eagerly-anticipated ODI World Cup in India.