For the second consecutive day in Mumbai's Ranji Trophy final against Vidarbha at the Wankhede Stadium, Shreyas Iyer remained absent from the field due to back pain. Despite his remarkable 95-run innings in Mumbai's second innings on the third day, setting a formidable target of 538 for Vidarbha, Iyer's back issues resurfaced, sidelining him from fielding duties for the rest of the match. Although treatment was administered, he was expected to return to the field on Thursday, which unfortunately did not materialize.

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BCCI and NCA's decision under scrutiny

Shreyas Iyer had initially experienced discomfort in his back following the second Test match between India and England, particularly during extended batting stints in Vizag. While the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and BCCI's medical team cleared him of any significant injury, he was omitted from the squad for the remaining Tests. Subsequently, he missed Mumbai's final Ranji Trophy league stage fixture due to back spasms. But at the same time, he participated in the pre-season camp for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the franchise he is slated to captain in IPL 2024.

However, Iyer's decision to prioritize IPL commitments over domestic cricket drew criticism from the higher-ups, prompting BCCI secretary Jay Shah to caution top players about the "severe implications" of favoring the IPL over domestic tournaments. Consequently, Iyer was dropped from the list of centrally contracted players and faced scrutiny for opting out of Ranji Trophy matches despite being available. 

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Despite these setbacks, Shreyas Iyer returned to play in the semi-final and final matches for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy 2024. Against Tamil Nadu in the semifinal, Iyer got out for just three runs in the first innings and did not bat in the second innings as Mumbai won by an innings and 70 runs. In the final, Iyer scored 7 and 95 runs to help Mumbai lift the Ranji Trophy title for the record 42nd time. 

However, Shreyas Iyer's injury flared up again in the final, prompting people to doubt the BCCI and NCA's clearance of the young batter. This comes ahead of the much-anticipated 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), slated to kickstart on March 22.