NEW DELHI: Gearing up for his much-anticipated return to international cricket after being sidelined for two months due to the spleen injury he suffered against Australia in October, Shreyas Iyer's wait could have got longer as he turned out to be lucky after surviving a narrow escape from being bitten by a fan's dog.

In a video that has since gone viral on social, Iyer is seen stepping out of the airport when a fan approaches him for an autograph.

The India batter gladly stops to sign, but moments later another fan arrives holding a dog. As Iyer reaches out to pet it affectionately, the dog snaps at him, prompting a quick retreat. Unfazed by the scare, he simply walks away smiling.

Iyer, who is also the designated vice-captain for India in ODIs, was named in the three-match series starting against New Zealand in Vadodara on January 11.

He made his return to competitive cricket during Vijay Hazare Trophy as he warmed up for ODI series against New Zealand with a scintillating 82 to help Mumbai beat Himachal Pradesh by seven runs. Iyer, who was cleared by the Centre of Excellence, smashed 10 fours and three sixes from the 53 balls he faced for his 82.

His return to the national team is expected to bring much-needed stability to the middle order, with the 31-year-old set to reclaim his familiar No. 4 position.

The other two ODIs against New Zealand will be played on January 14 at Rajkot and January 18 at Indore.