Shreyas Iyer eyes India comeback after Ranji Trophy ton

Shreyas Iyer is keen to get back into the Indian team following his 142 against Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 on October 19 (Saturday). The Mumbai batter has had his share of injuries and other setbacks in the recent past, but he is overjoyed by a ton after registering a duck in the first innings. 

"Obviously I was feeling a bit down with my injuries, but now getting a century after a very long time, it's a great feeling overall. I am absolutely keen for a comeback, but, yeah, as we say, control the controllables," he said.

Iyer has played plenty of matches after his back surgery, including the World Cup, Asia Cup, Buchi Babu tournament, Duleep Trophy and now the Ranji Trophy, and while his body feels great, he says he has always played with fear that the injuries might return 

"My job is to keep performing and keep participating as much as possible and also see to it that my body is in the best shape," Iyer said. 

"After the surgery, I played the World Cup, Asia cup and many more matches, but there was this phase where I was feeling that it might occur again. I trained a lot to see to it that I have optimum fitness, and obviously, it comes here and there, but now my capacity has improved.

"No matter whatever people think outside, I have to listen to my body because I know the amount of threshold I've carried over the last few years and based on that I'll be taking the right decision and I hope that my team will also back [me]."

The 29-year-old was not offered a BCCI central contract after he did not play a Ranji game last season, but says he is in a good frame of mind now. 

"See, I have addressed my feelings [about the longer format]. Things didn't go my way. But I've also addressed it in the previous interviews I've given," Iyer, who has played 14 Tests, 62 ODIs and 51 T20Is, said.

"But I'm in a good space right now. I'm doing what I'm meant to do, that is, training and playing matches consistently. And I feel that all the matches I've played right now in the past have helped me gain that fitness level. This is my seventh match on the trot and yeah, the body has taken a lot of load. We have to manage here and there and see to it that I strategize in terms of how I play," he added.

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