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Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer has been ruled out of the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022 after sustaining a broken ankle.
He will not partake in the team's remaining group matches and subsequent knockout matches should they qualify out of Elite Group A of the competition.
The all-rounder last played in Madhya Pradesh's 14-run win over the Railways on Sunday, October 16. He played a brisk 28-run knock before returning with figures of 0-32 off three overs while defending 191 runs.
He provided a grim update on his injury with a post on his social media handles, which was captioned:
"Gutted to be missing out on the remainder of the SMAT due to a broken ankle. Hope to be back on the field soon. Will be rooting for my MP boys from the sidelines. Keep the positive vibes going. Do keep sending your wishes and love."
Iyer began the tournament on the brightest of notes after smashing an unbeaten 62 and claiming 6-20 in Madhya Pradesh's opening clash against Rajasthan on October 11. He has since gone wicketless across his last three matches, but has been among the runs with knocks of 57, 42 and 28 before his unfortunate injury.
Venkatesh Iyer last played for India in February 2022
Iyer was primed as the first-choice pace bowling all-rounder after the T20 World Cup 2021. Hardik Pandya's absence from the side gave the Madhya Pradesh-born player an extended run of games, well into Team India's home season at the start of the year.
As part of the Men in Blue, he was largely used as a finisher in the lower-middle order and his services as a bowler were only sporadically called upon.
His last international appearance came during the three-match home series against Sri Lanka earlier in the year. A bleak and erratic Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 campaign with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the secure comeback of Pandya back into the side left Iyer fending on the domestic circuit once again.
Will the all-rounder be a part of Team India's plans anytime soon? Let us know what you think.
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