Vijay Hazare Trophy: Shreyas Iyer to lead Mumbai in must-win matches; Shardul Thakur injured

Mumbai: Returning from a spleen injury that sidelined him for three months, India’s ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer will lead Mumbai in their final two league matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) in Jaipur. Iyer replaces regular captain Shardul Thakur, who was ruled out of the tournament on Monday due to a calf injury."The Mumbai Cricket Association is pleased to announce that Shreyas Iyer has been appointed as the Captain of the Mumbai senior men’s team for the remaining league matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy," said MCA secretary Dr Unmesh Khanvilkar in a statement. "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."An experienced international cricketer with proven leadership credentials, Shreyas Iyer brings calmness, tactical acumen, and a strong understanding of the game. The Association is confident that under his captaincy, the Mumbai team will continue to perform with determination and uphold Mumbai cricket’s rich legacy."The Mumbai Cricket Association wishes Shardul Thakur a speedy recovery and extends its best wishes to Shreyas Iyer and the entire Mumbai squad for the upcoming matches."Mumbai were boosted on Monday by the arrival of Iyer, India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Shivam Dube in Jaipur.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Tuesday’s clash against Himachal Pradesh will be crucial for Iyer, who will receive final clearance from the BCCI’s medical team at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) only if he comes through the match pain-free. He has already completed match simulations at the CoE on January 2 and has been picked for India’s upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, subject to fitness.Placed second in Elite Group C with 16 points from five matches, Mumbai need at least one win from their remaining fixtures to qualify for the knockouts. Their net run rate (1.293) took a hit after a 128-run defeat to Maharashtra.Meanwhile, Mumbai have added off-spinner Shashank Attarde to the squad. The 34-year-old has played just two List A matches, in which he has taken one wicket at an average of 115.00.In-form batter Sarfaraz Khan, Mumbai’s leading run-scorer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy so far with 220 runs from three matches at an average of 110.00, missed the last game against Maharashtra due to pain in his quadriceps. Sarfaraz had suffered a quadriceps injury last year, but the 28-year-old is likely to return.Mumbai face Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday and Punjab on Thursday.