India national cricket team middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about taking a break from 'red-ball cricket' for some time due to back stiffness and fatigue issues, as per a report. This is not the first time the star batter has reported his back issue to BCCI. Last year, the right-handed batter missed the India vs England Test at home due to a back injury. For those unversed, Iyer's name was surrounded in controversy after he informed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) that he would not be available for the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match. Shreyas Iyer Leaves India A Captaincy Moments Before 2nd Unofficial Test Against Australia A; Reason for Decision Yet to Be Confirmed: Report.

However, Nitin Patel, then head of sports science and medicine at the National Cricket Academy, in an email to BCCI selectors, said that Iyer has no fresh injury reports and he is fit. This led to his omission from his BCCI annual contract. Later on, Iyer's name was reconsidered in BCCI's central contract in April 2025.

Shreyas Iyer Requests for Temporary Break From Red-Ball Cricket

According to the Indian Express, Indian cricketer Shreyas Iyer has informed the BCCI selectors that he is facing back issues and his body cannot take the toll of red-ball cricket anymore. The report added that Iyer can't be on the field for more than four days. And this is the reason why the middle-order batter has informed the Indian cricketing board about taking a temporary break from the red-ball format. Asia Cup 2025: Amit Mishra Decodes Shreyas Iyer’s Absence From India National Cricket Team, Says ‘Got Stuck in Left-Right Combination’.

“He has informed us that he (Iyer) will be taking a break from red ball cricket and it’s good that he has cleared it out because selectors are now clear about his future. He won’t be playing red ball cricket in coming months and he has informed the board that he will assess his body in future in consultation with physios and trainer and take a call on it,” a source said to Indian Express.

Shreyas Iyer was in contention to be part of the Indian Test squad for the home Test series against the West Indies national cricket team starting next month. In order to get some game time, the selectors had named Iyer the captain for the India A squad for two matches against Australia A. The Indian batter last played a Test match in February 2024 against England in Visakhapatnam.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 23, 2025 09:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).