Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer (Image Credit: Twitter)

Shreyas Iyer is set to return to the IPL 2021 after missing out from the first half of the seson in April-May due to a shoulder injury which he had sustained in the preceding ODI series against England at home.

Earlier in the week, the right-hander was deemed fit to play by the National Cricket Academy (NCA), but there were doubts over his participation in the UAE matches, from September 19. Now, the BCCI has given clearance to Shreyas Iyer and all other players who had withdrawn from the tournament due to injury or personal reasons to make themselves available for the remainder of the season.

However, the condition is that franchises would be allowed to keep either the original player – who pulled out due to any reason – or the replacement player.

Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer (Image Credit: Twitter)
According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, Hemang Amin, IPL’s chief operating officer, has told the franchises that the deadline for submitting the final list of the players, replacements included, is August 20.
“If in case any player who was injured or unavailable during the India leg of IPL 2021 and is now fit or available then the franchise which had taken a replacement player for such previous unavailability, will need to elect any one of them,” Amin told the franchises. 
He further explained that the cricketers who were roped in as replacements but weren’t going to be retained would be then placed in the IPL’s registered pool of players. But if the original player was released, then he would not be part of that registered pool.
It also remains to be seen if Shreyas Iyer, who was replaced by Anirudh Joshi, will be re-instated as the Delhi Capitals captain or will the franchise continue with Rishabh Pant, under whom they won 6 out of 8 games and are currently sitting at the top of the table. Shreyas Iyer had captained the side to the final last season where they lost the indomitable Mumbai Indians.
T Natarajan, Sunrisers Hyderabad
T Natarajan has been declared fit for UAE leg of IPL 2021. (Image Credit: Twitter)
Sunrisers Hyderababd pacer T Natarajan is also announced fit for the second half of the season. He played a couple of games in the India leg before picking up an injury. This will provide a boost to SRH who are at the bottom of the table. There were several other players also who had pulled out due to various reasons.

List of replacement players for UAE leg of IPL 2021:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Gurkeerat Singh replaced Rinku Singh
Chennai Super Kings: Jason Behrendorff replaced Josh Hazlewood
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Jason Roy replaced Mitchell Marsh
Rajasthan Royals: Gerald Coetzee replaced Liam Livingstone
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Scott Kuggeleijn replaced Kane Richardson, Finn Allen replaced Josh Phillipe

Delhi Capitals: Anirudh Joshi replaced Shreyas Iyer

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