India batter Shreyas Iyer sustained a serious injury while fielding during the third ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
The 31-year-old suffered the blow to his lower left rib cage while taking a brilliant tumbling catch to dismiss wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey in the 33rd over. The impact left Iyer writhing in pain as teammates and physio Kamlesh Jain rushed to his aid.
After walking off the field with assistance, Iyer was immediately taken to hospital for further evaluation. Scans later confirmed a laceration injury to his spleen, leading to his admission to the ICU for observation.
BCCI Confirms Spleen Laceration, Says Iyer ‘Stable’
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the nature of the injury through its secretary Devajit Saikia, who said Iyer remains under close medical supervision in Sydney.
Scans have revealed a laceration injury to the spleen. He is under treatment, medically stable, and recovering well. The BCCI Medical Team, in consultation with specialists in Sydney and India, is closely monitoring his status. The Indian team doctor will stay in Sydney with Shreyas to evaluate his day-to-day progress.
Iyer was kept in the ICU as a precaution against internal bleeding or infection, with specialists expected to determine his recovery path in the coming days.
Family to Join Him in Sydney
Iyer’s parents, Rohini and Santosh Iyer, have reportedly applied for emergency visas to travel from Mumbai to Sydney to be by their son’s side during recovery.
Heroic Catch, Costly Consequence
Iyer’s injury came after a moment of brilliance on the field. As Carey miscued a short ball from Harshit Rana, Iyer sprinted back from backward point and threw himself full length to complete a stunning catch near deep third man — a moment that gave India a key breakthrough.
Despite his effort, Iyer’s match ended there as India went on to chase down Australia’s 236 comfortably, powered by an unbeaten 168-run stand between Rohit Sharma (121)* and Virat Kohli (74)*.
Not in T20I Squad
Iyer, who was not part of India’s T20I squad for the upcoming series against Australia starting Wednesday in Canberra, will now undergo further evaluation to determine his recovery timeline.
