Shreyas Iyer, who has battled back issues and a recent omission from the BCCI central contracts, celebrated exuberantly with his Mumbai teammates after their dominant 169-run victory over Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy final on Thursday.
The Kolkata Knight Riders captain played a key role in Mumbai's record 42nd Ranji Trophy title, scoring a dynamic 95 runs off 111 balls in the second innings. His knock, along with contributions from Musheer Khan (136) and Ajinkya Rahane (73), helped set a challenging target of 538 for Vidarbha.
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Despite battling back pain and missing the field for the final two days, Iyer's joy was evident in a video circulating online that showed him celebrating with the team to the rhythm of a Nashik Dhol.
Iyer was dropped from the Indian team after the second Test against England in February without explanation. He was also excluded from the BCCI's central contracts. However, he followed the board's directive for player participation in the Ranji Trophy and joined Mumbai's squad.
However, concerns remain regarding Iyer's back, which could potentially rule him out of the initial matches for KKR in the upcoming IPL season starting March 22. Reports suggest he might miss the start due to recurring back problems, despite being cleared by the National Cricket Academy (NCA). According to The Times of India, Iyer required treatment from the Mumbai physiotherapist twice during his innings due to back spasms. KKR's season opener is against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23 at Eden Gardens.
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