Shreyas Iyer lays bare injury toll, opens up on long road back to cricket: ‘Gaining those 7kgs took a lot of effort’

Shreyas Iyer detailed the physical toll of his injury, losing 7 kgs during recovery.

Updated on: Mar 21, 2026, 07:46:53 IST

Written by Probuddha Bhattacharjee

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Shreyas Iyer has revealed the extent of the physical toll his serious injury took on him, saying he lost around 7 kgs during recovery and had to work hard to rebuild himself before returning to competitive cricket. The Punjab Kings had suffered a spleen injury during India’s ODI tour of Australia in October 2025, an episode that kept him out for weeks and forced a long recovery before he could resume cricket.

Shreyas Iyer in a practice session. (AP)

Speaking ahead of the new IPL season, Iyer described how demanding that period had been. “It’s always challenging to come back after an injury. I had lost around 7kgs due to the injury, it was a severe one. Thankfully, I was back in good shape after two months. But gaining those 7 kgs back took a lot of effort. I enjoy challenges, and that was one I had to overcome. I’m glad I came through that phase and am back representing my team, and also having represented India in the previous series. I feel proud of myself,” Iyer told reporters in the pre-season press conference.

His statement carries more weight when placed against the timeline of his setback. Iyer was injured in the third ODI against Australia in Sydney in October 2025, with the injury later confirmed as a spleen issue with internal bleeding. He eventually returned to action in early January, giving him barely enough time to recover rhythm and physical sharpness before the IPL build-up began.

Shreyas Iyer focused on winning the IPL with PBKS

Shreyas Iyer repeated the physical challenge of that phase, underlining how difficult the comeback had been. “It is always challenging to come back after an injury. I had lost around seven kilos, and it took a lot of effort to gain that weight back.”

Now, though, his focus has shifted fully from recovery to ambition. Leading the Punjab Kings into IPL 2026, Iyer made it clear that he is embracing both pressure and expectation. “Expectations are high, which is fun. I love the challenge. But the important thing is that whenever we step in, we have to win. My eye is on the trophy,” he added.

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He also pointed to the role of dressing-room culture during a long tournament, saying, “This is the period where we live as a family for two months,” while stressing that off-field bonding can shape on-field performance.

For the Punjab Kings, their captain being fit and mentally reset is great news. After a severe injury and a slow climb back, Iyer is entering IPL 2026 with the recovery behind him and the trophy firmly in sight.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Probuddha Bhattacharjee
Probuddha Bhattacharjee is a sports writer and analyst with expertise spanning cricket, football, and multi-sport events, with a strong emphasis on data-driven journalism and tactical storytelling. He currently focuses on international cricket, the Indian Premier League, global tournaments, and emerging trends shaping modern sport, blending advanced statistics with strong narrative context to explain performance, strategy, and decision-making. His work aims to bridge the gap between numbers and storytelling, helping readers understand not just what happened on the field, but the tactical and structural reasons behind it. Trained in data journalism through the Google News Initiative (GNI) Data Journalism Lab, Probuddha works extensively with ball-by-ball datasets, performance metrics, and trend-based modelling to produce evidence-backed reports, explainers, and long-form features. His analytical approach focuses not only on outcomes but also on process—selection strategies, phase-wise tactics, workload management, and the influence of preparation and planning on match results. He is particularly interested in how statistical patterns reshape conventional cricketing narratives and provide clearer tactical insight for modern audiences. Beyond cricket, Probuddha has written analytical and news-driven pieces on football and other major sporting events, with a growing interest in sports governance, scheduling dynamics, and the economics of elite competitions. He also tracks how rule changes, franchise structures, and broadcast pressures influence the evolution of contemporary sport. He has previously contributed to platforms such as OneCricket, Sportskeeda, and CrickTracker, and continues to specialise in analytical storytelling, live coverage, and audience-focused reporting. His work prioritises clarity, context, and credibility, while consistently exploring innovative ways to present data through accessible narratives and structured match analysis.Read More

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