Shreyas Iyer grilled over red-ball unavailability due to injury despite being fit for white-ball: 'It's a dilemma for…'

Dilip Vengsarkar voiced his confusion over Shreyas Iyer’s stance that he is unfit for red-ball cricket but available for white-ball formats.

1983 World Cup-winning star Dilip Vengsarkar has raised questions over Shreyas Iyer's decision to take a six-month break from red-ball cricket but make himself available for white-ball cricket. Iyer was recently appointed skipper of the India A team for a two-match red-ball series against Australia A, but he withdrew his name from the squad after the first unofficial Test due to recurring back issues. The stylish batter hasn't played a Test for India since last year, but he still remains a crucial part of the ODI team and was recently named the new vice-captain for the Australia ODIs.

Shreyas Iyer has taken a six-month break from red-ball cricket.(Hindustan Times)

Vengsarkar voiced his confusion over Iyer’s stance that he is unfit for red-ball cricket but available for white-ball formats. He argued that if a player is fit for white-ball cricket, he should logically be fit for red-ball as well, calling the distinction difficult to understand.

“To be honest, it’s a dilemma for me, because he [Iyer] says that he is unfit for red-ball cricket, but is fit for the white-ball cricket. I don’t understand the difference between red-ball cricket and the white-ball cricket. I feel that if you are fit for white-ball cricket, you are obviously fit for red-ball cricket too. Choosing red-ball or white-ball and such things are beyond my comprehension,” the 69-year-old told midday.

The 30-year-old has played 14 Tests, in which he scored 811 runs at an average of 36.86. He was once touted as the long-term replacement for Ajinkya Rahane in the red-ball set-up. However, he failed to show consistency and lost his place in the squad as he last played a Test match for India against England in February 2024.

Shreyas Iyer takes a six-month break from red-ball cricket

Meanwhile, the BCCI issued a statement saying that Iyer has taken a six-month break from red-ball cricket due to recurring back spasms and stiffness, a condition for which he has previously undergone surgery.

“Mr Shreyas Iyer has informed the BCCI of his decision to take a six-month break from red-ball cricket. Having undergone back surgery in the UK and managed his recovery well, he has recently experienced recurring back spasms and stiffness while playing the longer format. He wishes to utilise this period to build endurance, body resilience and work on his fitness. In view of his decision, he was not considered for selection for the Irani Cup,” the BCCI press release said.