Some heartening news to Indian cricket lovers and Indian team management, star middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer has entered the final phase of rehabilitation. On 25 December 2025, it was reported that Iyer has checked in at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru (one-time NCA) for a fitness assessment test to his availability for next month’s home series against New Zealand.
The Path Back: Getting back to Batting and Gym Workouts
Before leaving for Bengaluru, Iyer gave a sneak peek of what he has been upto in his home city — Mumbai. The 31-year-old batter was in the nets for around an hour on December 24, and faced bowlers without any discomfort visible. It was his maiden full-blown batting exercise post the injury and the fact that he did not feel any discomfort is being seen as a very good sign.
Iyer has been doing light gym since the last ten days apparently.
‘NO RED FLAGS’: A series of inquiry scans and post-injury clinical reviews has revealed he is not suffering any major long-term complications as a result of the commentary deal, enabling him to move from rehab exercises into cricket work.
Timeline of the stay at CoE: He is likely to be there for four or six days at Centre of Excellence. In this small window, the medical team will take Anderson through high-intensity fitness tests, including agility runs and long-duration batting stints, to test whether his body can withstand the rigours of 50-over cricket.
The New Zealand ODIs: Can he play?
The million-dollar question now is: will Shreyas Iyer be available for the first ODI against New Zealand on January 11, 2026?
I’s too early to know whether he will be able to return in this series but potential is there — and that was ”touch and go”. The BCCI selection committee, guided by the CoE roadmap, is unlikely to hurriedly bring him back. His injuries (a ruptured spleen and broken ribs) are such that there’s great concern about how he is healing inside.
The Vijay Hazare Trophy Route
If the CoE rules him out for the start of New Zealand series, there are fair chances that Iyer will be made available to represent Mumbai in the concluding phase of Vijay Hazare Trophy. This would be one important “match-fitness” test. Should he do well and be safely negotiated through the domestic outings, there is a chance of him entering the squad either midway through the New Zealand series or concentrate on his captaincy duties for Punjab Kings in IPL 2026.
Why Shreyas Iyer is the Need of the Hour in ODI Format
India missed Iyer big-time during their white-ball tour to Sri Lanka. His significant contribution in anchoring the middle order and putting spinners to sword, especially during the middle-overs, makes him one of the most trusted players in 50-over format.
The Number 4 Specialist Over the past two years, Iyer has made the number four spot his own and blended aggression with strike rotation.
- Value in leadership: As the vice captain, his inputs are valuable to skipper Shubman Gill, particularly in tough home conditions.
What Happens Next?
The squad for New Zealand series should be announced in the first week of January 2026 (Jan 2 or 3 iirc). They were waiting for the “Final Fit” certificate from the experts of the CoE, it said. If Iyer passes the tests this week with no return of pain, he could yet be a surprise inclusion in the squad.
But if the medical staff recommends one more week of rest, then we may have to wait till IPL or probably even after that for a sight of him in “Men in Blue” jersey.
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Conclusion: A Patient Comeback
The story of how Shreyas Iyer’s injury fared has been a tale of fortitude. It has been a mental triumph from a nightmarish crash in Sydney to the ICU and now back in the nets at Bengaluru. As the tour of New Zealand remains in suspension, “good signs” have finally arrived and it won’t be long before India’s middle-order lynchpin gets back on to the field.
