Shreyas Iyer off the field in Ranji final for second day in a row

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NewsIyer did not field on Wednesday because of back pain, but it was understood that he would field on Thursday after receiving treatment

Shreyas Iyer scored a quick 95 in Mumbai’s second innings in the Ranji Trophy final  •  PTI

Iyer had scored a whirlwind 95 off 111 balls in Mumbai’s second innings on the third day, which helped set Vidarbha a never-achieved-before target of 538. But he did not take the field on Wednesday because of back pain. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Iyer received some treatment during the day and was expected to be good to field on Thursday. But that did not happen.

He had first expressed discomfort in his back after the second Test against England, especially when playing long innings. The BCCI’s medical staff cleared him of any injury at the time, but the selectors left him out of the squad for the remaining three Tests.

Iyer then missed Mumbai’s last Ranji Trophy league match citing back spasms. However, during this time, he attended the pre-season camp for Kolkata Knight Riders, the team he will captain at IPL 2024.

The fact that he had opted against playing Ranji Trophy games despite not busy with international cricket didn’t go down well with the bosses, and BCCI secretary Jay Shah sent a letter to top players in the country warning them of “severe implications” if they prioritise the IPL over domestic cricket. Iyer went on to miss Mumbai’s quarter-final as well, but has played in the semi-final and the final. Iyer was also one of the high-profile names to be dropped from the list of centrally contracted players.

In the ongoing title contest, Mumbai are in a strong position, having set Vidarbha a massive target and then reduced them to 248 for 5 going into the last day.

Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo