Shreyas Iyer was absent from the pitch for the second consecutive day at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy final against Vidarbha.
Iyer’s whirlwind 95 off 111 deliveries in Mumbai’s second innings on the third day assisted Vidarbha in setting an unprecedented target of 538. Wednesday, however, he was unable to play due to back discomfort. According to information obtained by ESPNcricinfo, Iyer underwent treatment today and was anticipated to be fit to play on Thursday. However, that did not occur.
His initial manifestation of back discomfort occurred following the second Test against England, specifically during extended innings. Although he was cleared of any injury at the time by the BCCI medical personnel, he was not included in the squad for the subsequent three Tests by the selectors.
Iyer subsequently withdrew from Mumbai’s final Ranji Trophy league match due to back spasms. He attended the preseason camp for the Kolkata Knight Riders, whom he will lead to the IPL title in 2024, during this period.
The decision of the player in question to abstain from participating in Ranji Trophy matches despite not being engaged in international cricket did not sit well with the authorities. In response, BCCI secretary Jay Shah issued a letter to the country’s top players, cautioning them of “serious consequences” if they placed the IPL above domestic cricket. Iyer subsequently failed to qualify for Mumbai’s quarterfinal, despite having participated in both the semifinal and final. Iyer was among the prominent individuals whose names were removed from the roster of centrally contracted athletes.
Mumbai is in a strong position in the ongoing title contest, having set Vidarbha an enormous target that they subsequently reduced to 248 for five heading into the final day.
