New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) India batter Shreyas Iyer will arrive in Jaipur on Sunday and will feature in Mumbai’s next two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, said Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar.

Iyer has completed the last phase of his rehab at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, and after being cleared for return to competitive cricket, he will play Mumbai’s final two league matches against Himachal Pradesh and Punjab on January 6 and 8, respectively.

“Shreyas will go to Jaipur tomorrow and will play the last two matches of this ongoing competition after getting the necessary clearance from the CoE. It’s definitely a very, very big boost for the Mumbai team,” said Khanvilkar to IANS on Saturday.

The two games will be of huge importance to Iyer as he’s included in the squad for the ODI series against New Zealand, starting on January 11 in Vadodara, subject to getting fitness clearance, especially with chief selector Ajit Agarkar and committee member RP Singh in attendance.

Iyer, India’s ODI vice-captain, suffered a serious spleen laceration while attempting to take a diving catch of Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey during the third ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 25.

Subsequent scans at a hospital in Sydney revealed internal bleeding that required immediate hospitalisation and intensive care. He underwent a minor surgical procedure to control the bleeding and was closely monitored by local medical specialists in Australia and India, including the Indian team doctor, before his condition improved and he flew back home.

After a rest period, Iyer underwent rehab sessions and more tests before resuming lightweight gym training. On December 24, Iyer resumed batting for around 30-45 minutes at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) nets in Mumbai, where he was reported to be showing no signs of discomfort.

Iyer has been at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) since December 25 for further assessment of his recovery. He even featured in a practice game before being given the green signal to resume playing.

“Shreyas went through a lot of simulation tests at the CoE and did well. He only had one problem to overcome, which was related to his weight. Due to the injury, his weight had reduced, and he wasn’t getting the power in his shots. But in the last few days, that aspect was worked out, and he’s now fit to play,” said a source tracking Iyer’s recovery to IANS.

–IANS

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