India batter Shreyas Iyer has been appointed as the captain of the Mumbai senior men’s team for the remainder of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. This decision comes after Shardul Thakur was ruled out of the tournament due to injury. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) confirmed Iyer’s new role in a statement released on Monday.
Iyer is set to lead Mumbai in their last two league matches on January 6 and 8. However, his participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy knockouts remains uncertain, as he has also been included in India’s ODI squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has indicated that Iyer’s fitness will determine his availability for the ODIs, which start on January 11, while the VHT knockouts are scheduled from January 12 to 18.
Should Iyer receive clearance from the BCCI medical team to participate in the ODIs, he would miss the VHT knockouts, prompting Mumbai to consider appointing a different captain for that phase. “We will take a call once things are clear. Shreyas will lead the team in the remaining two league games,” said MCA secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar.
This tournament marks Iyer’s return to competitive cricket after he suffered a spleen injury during the third ODI between India and Australia in October of the previous year, which occurred while attempting to catch a ball. The matches in the VHT will therefore be Iyer’s first appearances since his injury.
Currently, Mumbai is positioned second in Group C and is in a strong position to qualify for the next round. The team will face Himachal Pradesh on January 6 and Punjab on January 8, with both matches taking place in Jaipur.
