Shreyas Iyer quits red-ball cricket, informs selectors

The short Test cricket career of India batsman Shreyas Iyer may have come to an end as the 30-year-old from Mumbai has reportedly decided to call it quits on his red-ball cricket, as reported by the Times of India.

One of the classiest batsmen of his generation, Iyer made his Test debut in November 2021 against New Zealand in Kanpur. Iyer started off with a bang, slamming a century and half-century on his Test debut.

However, that remained the only century he would hit in the 14 Test matches he featured in until his last Test in February 2024. In 24 innings of 14 Tests, Shreyas Iyer scored 811 runs at an average of 36 with five fifties and one hundred.

While he did well in Asia, averaging 35 in India and 101 in two Tests in Bangladesh, it was his issues in Tests outside Asia that hurt his case significantly. In two innings in England, he scored 34 runs, and in four innings in South Africa, he scored only 41 runs.

Shreyas Iyer quits red-ball cricket, informs selectors ahead of West Indies squad selection – Reports

Iyer recently led India A against Australia A in the first four-day match of the two matches in Lucknow. However, he pulled out of the second match against Australia A, with Dhruv Jurel getting the opportunity to lead India A.

With his staggering form in domestic cricket, ODI cricket, and the IPL 2025, rumors suggested Iyer could be in line for a recall to the Test squad for the upcoming two-Test home series against the West Indies. The BCCI selectors are slated to pick and announce the Test squad for the two Tests against the West Indies on Wednesday, September 24.

However, a day or two before the selection meeting, Iyer reportedly informed the BCCI and the selectors of his decision to step away from red-ball cricket. According to the Times of India, Iyer has taken this decision owing to issues in his back.

“Iyer spoke to Agarkar and conveyed that itâ€s getting tougher for him to endure the rigours of first-class cricket. He is experiencing some discomfort in his back. Thatâ€s why he has pulled out of the India A match,†a source in the know of developments in the BCCI told TOI.

In 2023, Shreyas Iyer had undergone back surgery due to a slipped disc. While he has made a successful return to the ODI side from the injury, Iyer has time and again had niggles and strains in his back over the last couple of years.

With Iyer being at the peak of his white-ball game, Iyer may not want to push his body hard with the demands of red-ball cricket, and hence, stepping away from the multi-day format seems a wise choice, if it indeed is.

In the Duleep Trophy, Iyer scored 25 and 12, and against Australia A, he managed just eight runs.

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