Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Shreyas Iyer to return for Mumbai's clash against Odisha

Star India batter Shreyas Iyer is all set to join Mumbai's Ranji Trophy squad for their upcoming clash against Odisha on November 6 at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in Mumbai.

The 29-year-old had requested a break from Mumbai's previous Ranji Trophy fixture against Tripura in Agartala, which ended in a draw, citing shoulder concerns. His return will provide a boost to the defending champions, who currently hold the fourth position in Elite Group A with nine points, having registered one victory, one defeat, and one draw in their first three matches.

In April 2021, Iyer underwent shoulder surgery to address a partially dislocated left shoulder, an injury that forced him to skip portions of the IPL and the subsequent T20 World Cup. More recently, in 2023 he faced another setback requiring back surgery in London, though he successfully returned to represent India in both the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup tournaments.

While Iyer's return strengthens the Mumbai lineup, the squad remains largely unchanged from their previous outing. Opener Prithvi Shaw continues to focus on his fitness program under MCA guidance and is unavailable for selection. 

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He was No. 1 on our list: Venky Mysore

Meanwhile, Iyer who led Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title, has not been retained by the franchise for the upcoming 2025 season and will go in the auction table. KKR has opted to retain six players including, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh. KKR CEO Venky Mysore revealed the reason for his release.

"He was No. 1 on our list (for retention). He's captain and we have to build everything around the leadership. We picked him for this specific reason in 2022," said Mysore, speaking to RevSportz.