Why does Shreyas Iyer, India’s T20 captain, have a second birth date?

A few days ago, India's new T20 captain Shreyas Iyer made a cryptic update to the bio on his official Instagram account, mentioning a second birthday on 25 December 2025. The mystery was solved on the eve of India's first T20I against England, as it was revealed that the date marked his return to the cricket field after suffering a near-fatal spleen injury during an ODI in Australia last October.

The cricketer and his branding team chose 1 July, National Doctors' Day, to reveal the reason behind his "second birthday", as Shreyas was unveiled as the brand ambassador for a leading Indian pharmaceutical company.

"I have spent all my life pushing my limits. Then one day, a catch left me with bruised ribs, an injured spleen, and a long road back to the field. Many thought that would change me. My doctors didn't," he said in the advertisement, before adding, "While everyone else was asking me to slow down, they were helping me get back to being myself again. And the day I walked back onto the field, it didn't feel like a comeback. It felt like a second birth."

The 31-year-old, whose career has been dogged by serious injuries, suffered perhaps the most severe setback of all when he landed awkwardly after completing a sensational diving catch to dismiss Alex Carey in Sydney, resulting in a lacerated spleen. He spent several days in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a Sydney hospital due to internal bleeding, while the rest of the Indian team flew home after the series.

Shreyas then spent nearly two months undergoing intensive rehabilitation at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, gradually working his way back to full fitness. He marked his return to competitive cricket with a blistering 82 off 53 balls in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, a comeback that paved the way for his appointment as vice-captain of India's ODI team and, now, captain of the T20 side following Suryakumar Yadav's exit.

Speaking after becoming the face of Sun Pharma's #SecondBirthDate initiative, Shreyas thanked the medical fraternity, saying: "An injury can make you realise how quickly life can change. I'm deeply grateful to the doctors and medical teams who helped me return to health, strength and the sport I love."