India vs Australia ODI: Shreyas Iyer hospitalised in Sydney after internal bleeding due to rib cage injury

India ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer has been admitted to a hospital in Sydney and is currently in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after suffering internal bleeding caused by a rib cage injury during the third ODI against Australia.

Iyer injured his left rib cage while taking a running catch to dismiss Alex Carey. He fainted in the dressing room soon after the incident, and his vital parameters were alarmingly low. He was rushed to the hospital, where scans revealed a laceration injury to the spleen, news agency PTI  reported, citing sources. 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed in a statement, “Shreyas Iyer sustained an impact injury to his left lower rib cage region... He was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. Scans have revealed a laceration injury to the spleen. He is under treatment, medically stable, and recovering well.” 

The BCCI’s medical team, in consultation with specialists in Sydney and India, is monitoring his progress. “The Indian Team Doctor will remain in Sydney with Shreyas to evaluate his day-to-day progress,” the board said.​

 Iyer has been in intensive care for the past couple of days and will remain under observation for two to seven days, depending on his recovery. Initially, he was expected to be out of action for about three weeks, but the recovery period could now be longer. With internal bleeding detected, his return timeline remains uncertain. 

“Since there has been internal bleeding, he will certainly need more time to recover, and at this point, it’s difficult to put a definite timeline on his return to competitive cricket,” a source told the news agency. 

The 31-year-old is expected to remain in hospital for at least a week before he can travel home. He is not part of India’s T20 squad.