Shreyas Iyer endured tremendous pain as he struggled with a back ailment. When it persisted even after surgery, he “panicked” because he believed that his professional future would be in jeopardy. Iyer was in excruciating pain before the operation, and he couldn’t even adequately describe the pain he was feeling. However, the 28-year-old elegant hitter soon made a full recovery and joined the Indian side once more in time for the 2018 Asia Cup. Now that he’s returned, he’s taking things slowly. The stylish batter recently opened up about his recovery journey. Scroll down to read Shreyas Opens Up About The Road To Recovery From Injury.
Shreyas Opens Up About The Road To Recovery From Injury
Iyer described the anguish that traveled to the bottom of his little toe as he recalled the days when he struggled with the ailment. He told the BCCI: “To be specific, I had this nerve compression, basically a slipped disc, which was compressing the nerve. And back then, it was terrible. I was in terrible pain. I was unable to fully describe what I was going through. But yes, I was experiencing this at the time, and I found it difficult to speak with everyone. I had this problem for a long, but I was taking injections and doing other things to make sure I was stable and playing lots of matches.”
The batter then concluded that the only treatment for his issues was surgery.
He remarked, “It got to the point where I realized I needed surgery. And I was informed by the physiotherapists and specialists that you should have surgery to finish things up. After spending two days in the hospital after the injury, I returned home immediately. I gave myself almost ten days of relaxation.”
The middle-order hitter praised every one of his teammates for their kindness both during and after his most trying time away from the team.
He said, “To be honest, I’m overjoyed to join the team and see everyone smiling. All of the players’ kindness was outstanding, and I am overjoyed to be back. Iyer last played in the March Border-Gavaskar Trophy final Test, which India won 2-1 before Iyer’s injuries set in.”
Additionally, it prevented him from guiding the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL in 2023.
The stylish batter continued, “A doctor had visited at that time to assess my toe strength. He added that although the operation would also be necessary, you can manage. Since I still have a lot of playing time ahead of me, I decided that having the operation would be the wisest course of action. And yes, I am genuinely pleased with my choice. The surgeon concurred that your decision to have the surgery was a wise one after the procedure. I spent three weeks in London following surgery since the surgeon needed to monitor my recovery over time. He was content after three weeks, I was requested to go back to India. After that, the NCA was run by physiotherapists.”
Shreyas Iyer On Recovery Post Surgery
Iyer added that recovering from surgery was difficult as well since the pain took longer to go away and he had moments of terror. He said, “It was like a roller coaster. Three months into its occurrence, the discomfort eventually started to go away. However, the physiotherapists were also working to restore my hamstring, glutes, and other joints’ range of motion. It is difficult to go through rehab when the pain is not getting better, especially if you are a professional athlete. Thank goodness, I had a terrific group of friends, support staff, and my family in my corner. In this circumstance, they were the ones who helped me to stop worrying.”
Watch Shreyas Iyer’s road to recovery video here:
Work in progress 🚧 Watch this space 😏 pic.twitter.com/HyVC8036yh
— Shreyas Iyer (@ShreyasIyer15) May 13, 2021
He continued, “But now, more than ever, patience is the key. So yes, I’m thrilled with where I am now since I never thought I would get better so quickly. Iyer described the “testing phase” at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in this city as his most difficult time. The hardest part of the process was the testing phase, but the physiotherapists and trainers were optimistic about my chances of recovering fully. But I was aware of the ache in my head.
Therefore, I had no idea at the moment whether I would succeed or fail the test. But after some time, I recognized the discomfort was going away and my leg strength was getting better. So gradually, when we began participating in various jogging sessions, the first one was quite challenging. Then, I was a little confused.”
“After the second session, I improved. I performed some practice yo-yo tests before eventually playing a match and acquiring that momentum. Then, I shocked myself as well during the yo-yo test. Iyer will be aiming to make a strong comeback in the next Asia Cup in preparation for the ICC World Cup, which will be held in India in October-November.”
He does not, however, plan too far ahead and would rather remain in the here and now.
“At this time, being in the moment and performing my daily tasks well are both vital to me. I don’t want to consider what has happened in the past or what could occur in the future. Day by day, I am checking all the boxes. I had a great two days of practice with the lads in terms of preparation, and it was also competitive. So pleased to be living in the now,” Iyer said.
The India team for the Asia Cup will begin their tournament against Pakistan on September 2 after a week-long conditioning camp in Bengaluru from August 23 to August 29.
