Denied India’s Captaincy, Shreyas Iyer Becomes Captain of This Team

Mumbai’s Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign has received a lift with Shreyas Iyer joining the side for the remainder of the group stage and being named as the new Mumbai captain for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The return of the ODI vice-captain strengthens the squad, but Mumbai will have to play without their regular skipper, Shardul Thakur, who has been sidelined from the tournament due to injury issues.

In Thakur’s absence, the responsibility of leading the team has been handed to Iyer, who will lead the Mumbai cricket team in their remaining two fixtures of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. Shreyas Iyer is expected to make his tournament comeback in Mumbai’s Elite Group C match against Himachal Pradesh in Jaipur on January 6 and will feature again in their final league game against Punjab on January 8.

The news of Shreyas Iyer Mumbai captain, has come as a boost for the domestic team as he is also the IPL-winning captain and brings a wealth of experience. After the conclusion of Mumbai’s group-stage matches, Iyer will join the India squad for the ODI series against New Zealand starting on January 11.

Shreyas Iyer Becomes Mumbai Captain in Vijay Hazare Trophy

According to Sportstar, Mumbai will see a change in leadership after regular skipper Shardul Thakur picked up a calf injury during his bowling spell in the previous match against Maharashtra. The all-rounder has undergone an MRI scan, and it suggests he is set to miss the rest of the tournament.

This will mark Iyer’s first appearance in competitive cricket since his injury. However, the senior national selection committee has made it clear that his participation in the Indian cricket team remains dependent on receiving medical clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE).

The 31-year-old, who is among the best batsmen in India, suffered the injury in October during the third ODI against Australia in Sydney while diving to take a catch to dismiss Alex Carey. The incident resulted in internal bleeding, forcing him to be rushed to a hospital in Sydney.

As a result, Iyer, who is one of the best ODI batsmen going around, was sidelined for nearly three months. He had to ensure a very serious injury as his oxygen saturation levels reportedly dropped to around 50, leaving him unable to stand properly for nearly ten minutes. He also experienced a complete blackout and required time before regaining full strength.

Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube to Join Mumbai Squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy

Shreyas Iyer Vijay Hazare Trophy participation will prove his game fitness before joining the rest of the Indian squad in Vadodara for the series opener. Mumbai will also have the services of India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Shivam Dube, both of whom are set to return alongside Iyer for the crucial league match against Himachal Pradesh in Jaipur on January 6.

There is still some uncertainty around Sarfaraz Khan’s availability. He had to sit out the previous game against Maharashtra after facing discomfort in his quadriceps, and while no official update has been issued, he remains a possible option for the Himachal Pradesh encounter. The Mumbai cricket team has also strengthened its squad by including 34-year-old off-spinner Shashank Attarde, who has limited List A experience, having featured in just two matches and picked up a single wicket.

As things stand, Mumbai occupy the second spot in Group C of the Vijay Hazare Trophy points table, with four victories from their five matches so far. Their lone defeat in the tournament came against Maharashtra.