Indian batsman Shreyas Iyer has been discharged from a hospital in Sydney today. Although his condition is now stable, he will not be returning to India immediately. The cricketer, who has played 14 Tests, 73 ODIs, and 51 T20Is for India, will continue his treatment in Sydney for a few more days.
On October 25, during the third and final ODI against Australia in Sydney, the 30-year-old Iyer suffered a serious injury while attempting to take a catch. He dived to grab Alex Carey’s catch but immediately appeared to be in severe pain. After receiving initial treatment on the field, he left with the physio and did not return to play.
India chased down Australia’s 236-run target by nine wickets, so Iyer was not required to bat. Later scans revealed an injury to his spleen and internal bleeding. As his condition worsened, he was admitted to a Sydney hospital and placed in the intensive care unit, sparking concern across the cricket world about the seriousness of his injury.
On October 29, BCCI secretary Debajit Saikia issued a statement saying Iyer’s condition was stable. In a new statement this morning, the board confirmed that he is on the road to recovery.
The statement quoted Saikia as saying, “The injury was identified quickly, and a minor surgery was performed to control the internal bleeding. All necessary medical care has been provided. He is now stable and recovering well. Both Indian and Sydney-based doctors are satisfied with his progress, and he has been discharged from the hospital today.”
Dr. Kourosh Haghighi and his team treated Iyer in Sydney, while Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala assisted from India. The BCCI further stated, “Shreyas will remain in Sydney for his follow-up treatment. He will return home once he is deemed fit to travel.”
It is still unclear when Iyer will fully recover and return to the field, but Indian media reports suggest he could be out of action for at least two months.
India are scheduled to play a full home series against South Africa from November 14 to December 19, followed by T20 and ODI series against New Zealand in January.
On the current Australia tour, India lost the ODI series 2–1 and are trailing 1–0 in the T20 series.