Indian vice-captain Shreyas Iyer sustained an injury during a fielding incident in the third One-Day International against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground this Saturday.
The incident unfolded in the 34th over of Australia’s innings when Alex Carey mistimed a shot.
Iyer, positioned at backward point, chased down the ball with a sprint and executed a superb leaping catch, breaking a crucial 59-run partnership. Unfortunately, he landed awkwardly on his left side immediately after securing the catch.
The 30-year-old remained on the turf, clearly in distress, as his teammates gathered around. Medical personnel swiftly attended to him on the field before he was assisted off by a support staff member.
Carey, who had received a lifeline earlier after being dropped by Prasidh Krishna off Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling, eventually departed for a score of 24 runs from 37 balls.
Iyer’s injury unfortunately compounds India’s already mounting fitness worries during their Australia tour. Earlier in the match, captain Shubman Gill announced at the toss that both Nitish Kumar Reddy and Arshdeep Singh were sidelined, leading to Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav being included in the playing eleven.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) subsequently confirmed that Nitish had suffered a left quadriceps injury in the second ODI in Adelaide and was under the close observation of the medical team. The 22-year-old had a challenging outing in that game, managing only eight runs and failing to take a wicket in his three overs.
While Arshdeep’s absence wasn’t officially detailed, the left-arm fast bowler had been observed experiencing cramps during the preceding match and received medical attention on the boundary.
An official update from the BCCI later confirmed that Iyer’s injury involved his left rib cage, sustained during his fielding effort. He has since been transported to the hospital for comprehensive evaluation and assessment of the damage.
India now anxiously awaits further reports on Iyer’s condition, as the team continues to battle a series increasingly plagued by player fitness setbacks.