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Shreyas Iyer set to return after 73 days: Mumbai name him captain for remaining Vijay Hazare Trophy league games
Mumbai Cricket Association confirms Iyer replaces injured Thakur as captain for remaining league matches.
Mumbai have handed Shreyas Iyer the captaincy for the rest of their Vijay Hazare Trophy league phase, a move that also signals that the batter’s return to competitive cricket after a serious injury layoff.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) confirmed that Iyer will replace Shardul Thakur, who has been forced out of the tournament. “Shreyas Iyer will take over the leadership responsibilities in place of Shardul Thakur, who has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury and is currently unavailable for selection,” MCA secretary Dr Umesh Khanvilkar said.
Thakur’s injury, the MCA indicated, was sustained during Mumbai’s previous league match against Maharashtra, and it rules him out of selection for the remaining games. Iyer, meanwhile, is expected to join the squad for Mumbai’s closing league fixtures in Jaipur, with the team scheduled to face Himachal Pradesh on January 6 and Punjab on January 8.
For Iyer, the timing adds extra significance. The 31-year-old is set to play his first competitive match since he suffered a major health scare on India’s tour of Australia in October. During the third ODI in Sydney, Iyer was hurt while attempting a diving catch to dismiss Alex Carey. The impact resulted in a laceration of the spleen and internal bleeding, and he was admitted to the hospital in Sydney. The episode sidelined him for nearly three months, with his recovery handled cautiously rather than hurriedly.
The comeback has an Indian layer as well. Iyer has been picked in India’s squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand, but his participation is subject to final clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE). The board’s return-to-play protocols have made the CoE’s sign-off a key checkpoint for players coming back from injuries.
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As part of the process, Iyer spent around 10 days at the CoE in Bengaluru, underwent fitness and physical assessments, and played a practice game. Having cleared those steps, he has been allowed to participate in domestic match action, with the Vijay Hazare Trophy now serving as both a competitive restart and a final audition for full international readiness.
Mumbai, for their part, get an experienced leader at a critical point in the league phase, and a proven top-order batter back in the middle. If Shreyas Iyer settles quickly, the captaincy call could strengthen both their immediate VHT push and his own road back to India colours, with every over in Jaipur carrying an extra moment for Mumbai and reassurance for the national selectors.
