Vijay Hazare Trophy: Mumbai sweat over skipper Shardul Thakur's fitness

Mumbai: Even as Mumbai are set to be bolstered by the arrival of India’s ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and allrounder Shivam Dube in Jaipur, the team has injury concerns heading into their final two league matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT).

Captain Shardul Thakur and leading batter Sarfaraz Khan both underwent MRI scans on Saturday after picking up injuries, casting a shadow over Mumbai’s campaign at a crucial stage.



Placed second in Elite Group C behind table-toppers Punjab, with four wins in five matches and 16 points in their bag, Mumbai must win both—or at least one—of their remaining matches to make it to the knockout stage of the domestic one-day tournament. Following their 128-run defeat to Maharashtra on Saturday, their net run rate (1.293) has taken a significant hit, meaning they also need to improve their NRR.

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However, ahead of the two crucial games -- against Himachal Pradesh and Punjab—Mumbai have been left sweating over the fitness of their captain Shardul Thakur, who underwent a scan on Saturday following a calf injury.

Thakur experienced pain in his calf region and hobbled off while bowling his seventh over (6.5-1-25-0) during Mumbai’s 128-run defeat against Maharashtra in Jaipur on Saturday. While there has been no official word from the Mumbai Cricket Association on Thakur’s injury so far, sources revealed to TOI that the India allrounder is even in danger of missing the rest of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.


“Even if he misses the rest of the league games of the VHT, Shardul will stay back in Jaipur and will be monitored regularly by the Mumbai team’s physio. Depending on the result of his scans, a call will be made about his future availability,” a source tracking developments told this paper. Shardul has been Mumbai’s most successful bowler, claiming 11 wickets in five games at 9.54, with best figures of four for 13 against Chhattisgarh and three for 20 against Goa.

Meanwhile, in-form batter Sarfaraz, who with 220 runs in three matches at 110.00 has been Mumbai’s top run-getter in the VHT so far, missed Mumbai’s last match against Maharashtra due to pain in his quadriceps. Sarfaraz had suffered a quadriceps injury last year. However, the 28-year-old is likely to return to the XI for Mumbai’s next match against Himachal on Tuesday.