India's ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer suffered a painful rib cage injury during the third ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 25, 2025.
The incident occurred when Iyer completed
a brilliant running catch to dismiss Alex Carey off Harshit Rana's bowling but landed awkwardly on his left side, immediately clutching his ribs in pain before being escorted off the field and taken to a hospital for scans.
According to BCCI's official report, Iyer sustained an injury to his left rib cage and was sent for "further evaluation and assessment. " Medical sources have described the injury as a "jerk," though scans were being assessed to rule out a hairline fracture.
If scans confirm only soft tissue damage, Iyer could recover within three weeks. However, a fracture could extend his recovery timeline beyond a month.
Iyer will miss at least three weeks of action, making his participation in India's upcoming ODI series against South Africa (starting November 30 in Ranchi) uncertain. A BCCI source described his return status as "touch and go" for the series, depending on his rehabilitation progress and Return-To-Play (RTP) clearance.
Iyer, who had earlier opted for a six-month break from red-ball cricket due to recurring back issues, remains India's key middle-order player in ODIs. He was in good touch before the injury, scoring a composed 61 in the second ODI at Adelaide. If his recovery proceeds as planned, he is expected to return to the Indian setup by late November or early December 2025, ahead of the South Africa ODIs or possibly for the home T20 series that follows.
Iyer has been a key member in the 50-over setup for India, and as the South Africa series is still almost a month away, the Mumbai player is expected to take part in the series. He recently conveyed his message to BCCI seeking a break from red-ball cricket to tackle his chronic back issue.
