Shreyas Iyer, who lost his spleen in the incident during the Australian tour, still has not been able to come back to the field. Nevertheless, it is good news for Iyer as he already had his first batting session in which he practiced for almost an hour without any pain at all. Now he will go to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) for further rehabilitation and to get a timeline for his return.
It is now gathered that although it was thought that Iyer would come back around between the IPL window, he might actually return in the later part of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT 2025) while his participation in the New Zealand series could be uncertain.
TOI quoted a source associated with the situation saying, “Shreyas Iyer had a really unfortunate injury in Australia and it caused him to miss a lot of competitive cricket. The good sign is that he is currently pain-free and batting has been problem-free for him in Mumbai on Wednesday. India plays New Zealand next and while that could still be touch and go, a return in the later stages of Vijay Hazare Trophy can’t be ruled out at this stage.”
The IND vs NZ tour will kick off on January 11, 2026.
What Happened to Shreyas Iyer and How Serious Was It?
A spleen laceration means tearing or cutting of the spleen caused by blunt force trauma. Since the spleen is a blood-rich organ such injuries could result in significant internal bleeding. Mild cases heal naturally with rest while severe lacerations may require surgery. Shreyas Iyer has recently been called “recovering well” and “medically stable.”
The recovery time for a laceration of the spleen is determined by its grade.
Grade I–II (mild): 6–8 weeks of rest
Grade III (moderate): 2–3 months
Grade IV (severe): 3–6 months or longer if surgery is involved
How the Recent Injury Affects Shreyas Iyer’s Career
Shreyas Iyer had a bright period just before the injury that nearly cost him his career. Besides being a talented batsman, Iyer was also a good captain in the Indian Premier League. After leading Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL trophy in 2024 with his excellent captaincy, he took Punjab Kings (PBKS) to their first IPL final after a decade in 2025. Later, he also led SoBo Mumbai Falcons to the T20 Mumbai 2025 final.
Iyer also was a guiding light to Central Zone, in the Duleep Trophy 2025, before India A’s 2-1 win against Australia A. His past 12-18 months have been incredible in terms of performance, and he played a crucial part in India’s victory in the Champions Trophy 2025 competition.
After the ODI series against New Zealand, India will switch to T20I mode. They will be playing five matches against the Kiwis in preparation for the T20 World Cup in February 2026. Shortly afterward, the Indian Premier League 2026 will kick off. This indicates that Iyer will have limited opportunity in ODIs over the coming months.
The No.4 batsman played his final Test in February 2024 and his last T20I match was in December 2023. Given the fact that Iyer is now playing one format, along with a long injury setback and recovery time, he will have to find his form before being allowed to make a direct return to the India squad. This, in turn, might also impact his BCCI central contract, which he has already experienced inconsistency with during the last two cycles.
