Punjab Newsline,Sports:
Included as replacement for injured Tilak Varma, Iyer to play first three T20I matches
Shreyas Iyer has made a comeback to the Indian cricket team in the T20 format after a long gap of nearly 25 months. The middle-order batter has been included in the squad for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, replacing injured Tilak Varma. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the replacement players for India’s New Zealand tour on Friday, confirming Iyer’s return to the shortest format.
The 31-year-old Shreyas Iyer is currently the vice-captain of the Indian ODI team and recently returned to international cricket after recovering from injury. Following his comeback in the 50-over format, he has now been given an opportunity in the T20I side as well. However, Iyer has been named in the squad only for the first three matches of the T20I series. The opening match of the series will be played on January 21 in Nagpur.
Along with Shreyas Iyer, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi has also been added to the squad. Bishnoi has been included as a replacement for Washington Sundar, who has been ruled out of the series due to injury. The T20I series against New Zealand is considered crucial for Team India, especially with the T20 World Cup approaching, as it provides an important platform to finalize combinations and assess player form.
Shreyas Iyer had suffered an injury during the third ODI against Australia on October 25 last year, which kept him out of international cricket for a significant period. He made his return to international cricket in the first ODI against New Zealand on January 11. In the T20I format, Iyer last featured in December 2023 against Australia in Bengaluru, where he played a fine knock of 53 runs off 37 balls. India won that match by six wickets.
So far, Shreyas Iyer has played 51 T20I matches in his career. He has scored 1,104 runs in these games, including eight half-centuries. His consistent performances across formats have underlined his importance to the Indian setup. Iyer has also been in excellent form in domestic and franchise cricket. In IPL 2025, he delivered an impressive performance, scoring 604 runs at a strike rate of 175.07 and played a key role in guiding Punjab Kings to the final.
With his return for the New Zealand T20I series, Shreyas Iyer is expected to strengthen India’s middle order. His experience and current form could prove valuable as Team India looks to build momentum ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup.