Amid the ongoing Duleep Trophy in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore, Central Zone cricketer Venkatesh Iyer was injured after West Zone seamer Chintan Gaja threw ball back at him in anger.
Iyer (27) immediately collapsed to the ground causing tense and unpleasant moments at SNR College Cricket ground with a doctor rushing on duty; the ambulance had also arrived in the middle of the ground. The all-rounder though walked out of the field instead.
Later, Iyer came back on the ground and Tanush Kotian dismissed him on 14. He was also taken to the hospital for customary scans and was discharged after being found okay.
"He is fine and back in the team hotel. I have spoken to him and he looks quite ok now," an official of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), who was at the ground when the incident took place, told Cricbuzz.
"It was a relief that there was no concussion. He did not feel dizzy and he looked fine. But he went off the field and the doctors on duty attended to him. He came back to bat again. After he got out, he was taken to the Kauvery Hospital in the city and all things appeared normal. He has sounded fine," the official added.
Iyer, who has played two ODIs and nine T20Is, has been out of selectors' favour. "I was hit below my ear. It was a shock initially but I am absolutely fine," the KKR all-rounder said. Asked whether he will be able to play in the second innings, he said, "I don't know, I have been kept under 24-hour observation. I will have to see how things go."
