Only hours after resigning as India A captain and departing the team in the middle of the red-ball series against Australia A in Lucknow, Shreyas Iyer has reportedly approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) seeking a break from the longer version.
Indian Express quoted that Iyer told the Ajit Agarkar-headed selection panel that persistent back issues flared up in the first unofficial Test, leading him to pull out not just from the second game but also from India’s squad selection for the West Indies’ coming Test series at home next month. India A captaincy was first bestowed upon him with a view to gearing him up for a Test comeback after being omitted halfway through the England series in early February 2024.
“He is facing stiffness in his back and his body cannot take the toll of the red ball cricket anymore.” the report mentioned
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In his letter to the BCCI, Iyer is believed to have indicated that “back stiffness” is making it hard to deal with the rigours of red-ball cricket. He is said to have owned up to the fact that his body cannot cope with more than four successive days of play, and that he will rest and rehabilitate himself until he is ready for the format once again. He further clarified that though he was able to take breaks in between Ranji Trophy matches last year, such flexibility was not feasible in India A or international matches.
“He has informed us that he (Iyer) will be taking a break from red ball cricket and it’s good that he has cleared it out because selectors are now clear about his future. He won’t be playing red ball cricket in coming months and he has informed the board that he will assess his body in future in consultation with physios and trainer and take a call on it,” a source confirmed.
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This is not the first time that back issues have pursued Iyer. In 2024, after being dropped from the England Test series, he made himself unavailable for Mumbai’s Ranji quarterfinals, citing fitness issues. However, the matter escalated when then-NCA sports science chief Nitin Patel told selectors that Iyer was carrying “no new injury” and was in fact fit. The controversy, coupled with BCCI’s directive requiring contracted players to feature in domestic competitions when not on national duty, ultimately led to Iyer being excluded from the central contract list earlier this year.
