Shreyas Iyer has to face a condition for selection in the ODI series against New Zealand, failing which he will not get a place in Team India. According to media reports, Shreyas Iyer will have to pass two match simulation sessions to get approval for ‘return to play’ from BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.
What is the criteria for the selection of Shreyas Iyer?
According to reports, Shreyas has passed four sessions of batting and fielding but considering his current fitness, two more match-simulation sessions will be organised which will be held on 2nd and 5th January. Iyer was supposed to return earlier, but the medical team working on his recovery found that the player has lost muscle mass, requiring further testing. He was scheduled to play two matches for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but that didn’t happen.
Now, the BCCI selection committee will select Team India on January 3rd, and Iyer’s place in that squad seems a bit unlikely. It’s also possible that the BCCI will make a decision after reviewing his first match simulation session.
Shreyas Iyer suffered an injury during the ODI series in Australia. He dived to take a catch, bruising his spleen and causing internal bleeding. As a result, he has been out of action for two months and has lost 6 kg. Therefore, he needs time to regain his weight and return to his pre-abdominal level. If Shreyas Iyer is selected for the ODI series against New Zealand, Ruturaj Gaikwad could be at a disadvantage. In Iyer’s absence, Gaikwad batted at number four in the South Africa ODI series, scoring a century.
What will be the future of Ruturaj Gaikwad?
If Iyer returns, Gaikwad could be dropped from the team. However, reports suggest that if Iyer is not selected, Karnataka batsman Devdutt Padikkal, who has scored three centuries in four matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, could be included in the squad.
