Shreyas Iyer puts Test career on hold

Shreyas Iyer has written to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asking for a break from the longest format. He stepped down as India A captain and left the squad in Lucknow midway through the red-ball series against Australia A. He explained that his back problem troubled him during the opening unofficial Test, forcing him to withdraw from contention for the upcoming home Test series against the West Indies.

Iyer was handed the India A captaincy for the two-match series against Australia A. The West Indies series would have marked his comeback to the format for the first time since being dropped during the England Tests in February 2024. However, he pulled out of the second fixture and informed the BCCI after consulting with chief selector Ajit Agarkar.

The report stated that he informed the selectors about stiffness in his back. “Iyer explained that he cannot stay on the field beyond four days. Iyer also mentioned that the problem existed last year too, though he was able to manage it in Ranji Trophy games by taking breaks between overs,” a report said.

“Shreyas Iyer told us that he will take a break from red-ball cricket. He won’t feature in matches in the coming months and has informed the board. He will review his fitness before deciding on his return,” a source said.

During the England series last year at home, he was sidelined and later told the Mumbai Cricket Association about his non-availability for the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals. The situation escalated into controversy when Nitin Patel, the then head of sports science and medicine at the National Cricket Academy, informed selectors that Iyer was fit to play.

The BCCI made it mandatory for the contracted player to play domestic matches. Iyer’s decision to opt out angered the board, and he was dropped from the central contracts.