Shreyas Iyer shares struggles of overcoming back injury ahead of the Asia Cup

Shreyas Iyer, currently participating in a rigorous six-day conditioning camp in Bengaluru with India's Asia Cup-bound squad, has unveiled his personal journey of battling a troublesome back injury. The accomplished India batter confessed to feelings of overwhelm and panic as he navigated the challenges posed by his injury, but he now expresses contentment with his progress after an extensive rehabilitation period.

Iyer's injury initially emerged as a concern following the fourth Border-Gavaskar Test against Australia in March. Initially, he had been exploring non-surgical avenues to manage the issue, hoping to make himself available for the latter part of IPL 2023. However, the pain intensified, stemming from a slipped disc, and forced him to reevaluate his approach, considering his long-term prospects as an athlete.

"I am happy being where I am. I am ticking all boxes day by day in terms of preparation."

During the rehab phase, Iyer admits to being overwhelmed. But in the end, the work he put in paid off to the extent that he was "surprised" at his scores in the yo-yo test, which involves high-intensity sprints over a set distance.

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"The testing phase was the toughest period to go through," he said. "The physios and trainers were pretty confident of me coming back strong. But in my mind, I could feel the pain. I was pretty oblivious at that point of time, [to] whether I would pass the test or not. But over a period of time, I realised pain was subsiding and strength was improving in my legs.

"Gradually, we started doing some running sessions. The first running session was extremely tough and I was a bit perplexed at that point of time as to what would happen. In the second session, I was progressing. I did some trial yo-yo tests, and after some time, I played a match and then I was gaining that momentum. In the yo-yo test, I surprised myself as well."

Subsequently, Iyer underwent surgery in London in April and remained under medical observation for three weeks before commencing a three-month rehabilitation program at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. The culmination of this process arrived recently when Nitin Patel, the head of NCA's medical team, granted Iyer the final clearance following a series of practice matches.

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Describing his journey, Iyer reflected, "It was a roller-coaster ride. The pain persisted until a few months ago, gradually subsiding over time. The focus during rehabilitation was also on regaining the range of motion in my hamstring and glutes."

As he embarks on the path to reclaiming his position as No. 4 in the ODI lineup, a move that could bolster his bid for a debut World Cup selection, Iyer emphasises his commitment to staying present and unburdened by past struggles.

"I'm content with my current progress. I'm systematically meeting each preparation milestone day by day. My recent practice sessions with the team were exceptional, characterised by competitiveness. Embracing every single moment, I'm delighted to be in this space," concluded Iyer.