Shreyas Iyer Poised for Comeback in Vijay Hazare Trophy

Shreyas Iyer Set for VHT Return

Shreyas Iyer, a prominent player for India, has received conditional approval from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at their Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. This comes as he continues to recover from a spleen injury he incurred during India's tour of Australia in October 2025. Reports suggest that Iyer may make his return in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), with plans to play for Mumbai. He is anticipated to participate in the sixth round of matches on January 6 in Jaipur against Himachal Pradesh.

Rehabilitation and Fitness Test

Iyer dedicated ten days at the Centre of Excellence to complete the final stages of his rehabilitation. As part of his return-to-play protocol, he took part in a practice match on January 2, where he batted without experiencing any pain and successfully completed all pre- and post-match exercises without any discomfort.

India vs New Zealand ODI Squad Announcement

In Iyer's absence, Ruturaj Gaikwad filled the No. 4 position during the ODI series against South Africa last year, where he achieved his first century in ODIs. The Indian squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand is set to be announced on Saturday. The BCCI secretary confirmed that the Indian Cricket Selection Committee will convene on Saturday to finalize the team for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, which begins on January 11 in Vadodara. Devajit Saikia stated, "As you know, from the 11th of January, India is going to play New Zealand in a three-match ODI series, and today we have a meeting with the selectors, and in the afternoon we are going to announce the squad for the New Zealand series who will be representing the country." The last update on Iyer's fitness was on November 28, when Morne Morkel, the bowling coach for India, confirmed that Iyer had commenced his rehabilitation.