Shreyas Iyer was in line for a return to the squad for the IND vs NZ ODI series in January. However, the India vice-captain's recovery has been delayed having lost 6kgs in quick time delaying his return to the field. The 30-year-old had batted in the nets at the BCCI CoE but now is expected to get a clearance only by January 9.

India's vice-captain Shreyas Iyer's return to the team has been delayed further. The 30-year-old has been out of action since suffering an injury in September. While Iyer has returned to training, he is yet to achieve full fitness ahead of the IND vs NZ ODI series.

As per Times of India, Shreyas Iyer has lost weight at a serious pace which has impacted his return. The 30-year-old lost up to 6kg in a matter of weeks, reducing his muscle mass. Shreyas has already regained some of the lost weight, but will have to wait for another week before he gets clearance to play.

Earlier, Shreyas was expected to join up with the Mumbai team for the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches on January 3 and 6. Given BCCI's diktat, Iyer will have to prove his fitness in domestic cricket before returning to the Indian team.

Iyer has already resumed batting and is doing so without any discomfort. However, to receive a full clearance, he will need to build more strength. Shreyas is expected to get a clearance on January 9, 2 days before the 1st ODI vs New Zealand.

That would all but rule him out of IND vs NZ ODI series. India are set to announce their squad on January 3 or 4th for the 3 games. Shreyas will not have regained his full fitness. Even should he get the clearance, his lack of competitive cricket before the series opener on January 11 could be flagged.

Iyer's return is now likely to be for the Vijay Hazare Trophy knockouts. He is not part of India's T20 World Cup plans and has taken a red ball cricket break due to persistent injury troubles. In Shreyas' absence, Ruturaj Gaikwad is set to continue at No.4, having scored a century against South Africa in Ranchi.