India’s newly appointed ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer could be sidelined for at least three weeks after suffering a painful injury to his left rib cage during the third and final ODI against Australia in Sydney on Saturday. The 30-year-old sustained the injury while taking a sharp catch to dismiss Alex Carey off Harshit Rana’s bowling, landing awkwardly on his left side in the process.
According to BCCI sources, Iyer was immediately taken to a local hospital for scans. Initial medical reports have suggested a “jerk” injury, though a definitive timeline for recovery will depend on further evaluation.
“Shreyas Iyer sustained an injury to his left rib cage while fielding. He has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation and assessment of his injury,” BCCI shared in an official statement.
BCCI official on Iyer’s presence for South Africa series.
The injury casts doubt over Iyer’s participation in India’s upcoming ODI series against South Africa, which begins on November 30 in Ranchi. A BCCI insider told PTI that it remains “too early” to determine whether he will recover in time, adding that his return could be “touch and go” depending on medical clearance and match readiness.
Iyer’s setback comes at a time when he was finding rhythm again in ODI cricket. After adopting a slightly modified batting stance, he scored a composed 61 in the second ODI at Adelaide and was just 83 runs short of reaching the 3,000-run milestone in the format.
Currently focusing solely on ODIs after taking a break from red-ball cricket due to recurring back issues, Iyer has also been out of India’s T20 setup for a while. His absence would be a blow to India’s middle-order stability, especially as the team continues fine-tuning its combinations ahead of a packed international calendar.
Meanwhile, despite the injury setback, India finished the Sydney match on a high, registering a commanding nine-wicket win over Australia, powered by Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 121 and Virat Kohli’s 74*.
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