Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer briefly recalled his recovery from a spleen injury he sustained late last year, ahead of IPL 2026.
Shreyas Iyer had sustained a spleen injury during the third ODI against Australia in Sydney in October 2025. That injury was a serious one as he received ICU care, but he was soon discharged in a few days.
His recovery wasn't easy, and it took two months to return to complete physical fitness.
‘Always challenging to come back after an injury’: Shreyas Iyer Iyer revealed that he lost seven kilograms following the injury, and added that gaining it back was not easy.
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“It is always challenging to come back after an injury. I had lost around 7kgs due to the injury, which was a severe one. Thankfully, I was back in good shape after two months," Iyer said at the pre-season press conference.
“But gaining those 7 kgs back took a lot of effort. I enjoy challenges and that was one I had to overcome. I am glad I came through that phase and am back representing my team and also having represented India in the previous series," he added.
The 31-year-old made his competitive return in January, playing a couple of matches, before turning up for India in their home ODI series against New Zealand. He scored 49 runs in the first ODI, but was dismissed for scores of eight and three in the second and third ODIs respectively.
He subsequently also missed out on a spot in India's squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, that the Men in Blue successfully defended.
The Mumbai cricketer admitted that his main aim this season is to help Punjab Kings clinch their maiden IPL title. Iyer had led Punjab Kings to the final of IPL 2026 , wherein they lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by six runs.
Punjab Kings had acquired Iyer for ₹26.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, thus making him one of the most expensive players in the history of the tournament. He was briefly the most expensive player, before Rishabh Pant broke that record after Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) acquired him for ₹27 crore.
“Expectations are high, which is fun. I love the challenge. But the important thing is that whenever we step in, we have to win. My eye is on the trophy," the right-handed batter said.
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“This is the period where we live as a family for two months," he added. Iyer enjoyed a productive season with the bat in IPL 2025, aggregating 604 runs from 17 matches at a strike-rate of 175.07. He registered six half-centuries during the season.