Major update on a star Indian player return to the Indian team ahead of the ODI series against New Zealand.

A three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand is scheduled to be played from January 11th. A major update has emerged regarding star player Shreyas Iyer’s fitness ahead of this series. According to reports, Iyer is recovering quickly and may participate in the final stages of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Shreyas Iyer had his first batting practice session on Wednesday and subsequently left for the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE). It is believed that Iyer might be ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand, although there is still considerable uncertainty surrounding this.

A source tracking Iyer’s recovery told IANS that the good news is that Iyer, after starting light gym training about ten days ago, batted for about 30-45 minutes in the nets at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai. He was fine even after batting yesterday and felt better, with no signs of pain or any other issues.

Suspense surrounds Shreyas Iyer’s participation in the New Zealand ODI series

Iyer’s participation in India’s three ODIs against New Zealand in January remains uncertain, but his potential involvement in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) for Mumbai depends entirely on the results of his CoE assessment.

A source said, “If it appears that his full recovery will take more time, Iyer may be asked to return for another assessment after 10 days or a week. After that, if he is deemed match-fit, he can play Vijay Hazare Trophy matches for Mumbai. However, if that’s not the case, he might go straight into the IPL 2026, where he will captain Punjab Kings.“

Shreyas Iyer was injured during the Australia series

Shreyas Iyer sustained an injury during the tour of Australia. He was injured while taking a catch during the third ODI match of the series. In that match, Iyer took a spectacular catch of Alex Carey while running backward from backward point, and in the process, he injured his left rib. He was then admitted to a hospital in Sydney. He returned to India after being discharged from the hospital. Due to the injury, Shreyas Iyer was also unable to participate in the home ODI series against South Africa.