India ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is all set to return for the ODI series against New Zealand, if there are no late red flags. Iyer is training at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and is likely to be there till December 30.The right-hander will then link-up with the Mumbai Vijay Hazare Trophy squad in Jaipur on January 2. He is expected to feature in the matches on January 3 and 6 before joining the Men in Blue for the three-match series starting in Vadodara on January 11.
“We are hearing positive developments around Shreyas. He is very likely to play two games for Mumbai on January 3 and January 6. The final schedule will depend on clearance from CoE but signs are positive for playing those games in Jaipur. He is batting well in the nets and no discomfort,” says a MCA official aware of developments.As TimesofIndia.com had first reported, Iyer batted for close to an hour in Mumbai on December 23 without any discomfort and made his way to the CoE for further assessment. He had already resumed regular physical training and gym work after recovering from the nasty injury.The blunt injury to the abdomen forced him to miss the ODI series vs South Africa and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Mumbai. Iyer’s return to the ODI set-up is a big boost for the ODI set-up as it allows the team management to firm up their plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli firing on all cylinders, Iyer’s return to the No.4 position will add a lot of solidity to the middle-order. In Iyer’s absence, Ruturaj Gaikwad was tried in the position and while he returned with a hundred, it will be difficult to accommodate the two right-handers in the Playing XI. The selectors are likely to pick the squad after receiving the necessary clearances for Iyer from the CoE and an announcement is expected early in the first week of January.As TimesofIndia.com had reported, both Bumrah and Pandya are likely to be rested keeping the T20 workload in mind and a call would need to be taken for the second wicketkeeper spot. Ishan Kishan is in red hot form and will make it a very happy headache for the selectors when they assemble to pick the squad for the three fixtures.