Shreyas Iyer ruled out of South Africa and New Zealand series; likely to miss T20 World Cup 2026 and opening games of IPL 2026 as well - Reports

Shreyas Iyer suffered a spleen injury during the third ODI in Sydney between India and Australia.

Shreyas Iyer, India’s ODI vice-captain, is likely to miss both the limited-overs series against South Africa and New Zealand, as he recovers from a spleen injury. Furthermore, Iyer will most likely miss the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 as well, because he won’t play any games to remain in contention.

This follows Shreyas Iyer’s spleen injury sustained after a catch during the most recent ODI series in Australia. He was seen clutching his ribs in excruciating pain after landing awkwardly during the third ODI in Sydney.

Subsequently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that he had sustained a blunt-force abdomen injury that resulted in internal bleeding and a spleen laceration. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for observation following a quick surgery to halt the bleeding, and once his condition had stabilized, he was discharged.

Iyer has been under constant medical care. According to an India Today source, earlier this week, he had an ultrasonography (USG) scan close to his home, and renowned sports medicine specialist Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala examined the results. Iyer was making steady progress toward recovery, according to the results of the most recent scan.

Shreyas Iyer set to miss South Africa, New Zealand series; likely to be out of ICC T20 World Cup 2026 contention

Iyer has been asked not to do strenuous exercises or begin training for a comeback. Another scan will be performed after two months, and Iyer will only be allowed to begin rehab and training at the BCCI’s Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru following the results of that scan.

Shreyas Iyer is unlikely to play cricket again before the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), according to a report from Dainik Jagran. As a result, the Indian ODI vice-captain will be unavailable for the forthcoming series against New Zealand and South Africa.

Additionally, he won’t be able to be selected for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. According to the claim, he may actually miss the Punjab Kings’ opening IPL 2026 games.

According to the source, Iyer’s return to the Team India squad for the home white-ball series against Afghanistan in June 2026 is a plausible possibility.

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