Is Shreyas Iyer injured or not? Fans troll Indian batter as he opts out of Ranji Trophy because of back pain

Shreyas Iyer was initially part of the Indian team for the first two Tests against England, where he scored of 35, 13, 27, and 39. However, the middle-order batter was subsequently dropped from the squad for the remaining three Test matches. 

Reports suggested that he had experienced back spasms during the second Test. Following his exclusion, he returned to play for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. Yet, a day later, he informed the Mumbai Cricket Association of his unavailability for the quarter-finals due to a back injury.

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However, Nitin Patel, the head of sports science and medicine at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), communicated to selectors via email that there were no reports of a 'fresh injury' and that Iyer was deemed 'fit'. Upon this revelation, fans took to social media platforms, particularly X (formerly known as Twitter), to troll the batter for providing seemingly inconsistent reasons for his non-participation.

According to sources from the Mumbai Cricket Association, Shreyas Iyer cited back pain as the reason for sitting out of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final game against Baroda, which will begin on Friday. However, in his email, Patel wrote: "Shreyas Iyer was fit and available for selection as per the handover report of the Indian team after the 2nd Test match against England. There are currently no fresh injuries reported after he departs from Team India," as reported by the Indian Express. 

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Shreyas had also missed last year's Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a back injury but had made a comeback during the Asia Cup 2023 before scoring 530 runs in the World Cup at home, averaging 66.25.

With Iyer being 'fit' and yet stating not to play has caused a huge uproar, especially after just days ago, BCCI secretary Jay Shah, in a letter to top cricketers, emphasized that domestic cricket remains a 'critical yardstick for selection' to the national team. The reason for the communication, according to the letter, was 'the concerning trend of players prioritizing the IPL over domestic red-ball cricket'.

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The letter read, "There is a recent trend that has started to emerge and is a cause for concern. Some players have begun prioritizing the IPL over domestic cricket, a shift that was not anticipated. Domestic cricket has always been the foundation upon which Indian cricket stands, and it has never been undervalued in our vision for the sport. Domestic cricket forms the backbone of Indian cricket and serves as the feeder line to Team India".

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He added, "Our vision for Indian cricket has been clear from the outset – every cricketer aspiring to play for India must prove themselves in domestic cricket. Performance in domestic cricket remains a critical yardstick for selection, and non-participation in domestic cricket will carry severe implications".