Shreyas Iyer to lead Mumbai in VHT: Details here
What's the story
Shreyas Iyer will captain the Mumbai team in their last two league matches of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. The decision comes after regular captain Shardul Thakur was ruled out of the tournament 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.
Team update
Iyer's return and team's current standing
Iyer's return to the team comes as a big boost, along with India's T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Shivam Dube. Mumbai are currently placed second in Elite Group C with 16 points from five matches. They need to win at least one of their remaining fixtures to qualify for the knockouts. Their net run rate took a hit after a 128-run defeat to Maharashtra.
Fitness check
Iyer's fitness to be assessed after match
Iyer's fitness will be assessed after the match against Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday. Notably, Iyer has not played any professional match since October 25 due to an abdominal injury. The game against HP will mark his return to professional cricket. He has already done match simulations at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) and has been picked for India's ODI series against New Zealand, subject to fitness. Meanwhile, Mumbai have added off-spinner Shashank Attarde to the squad.
Player update
Sarfaraz Khan's potential return
In-form batter Sarfaraz Khan, Mumbai's leading run-scorer in the VHT 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. He had suffered a quadriceps injury last year but is likely to make a comeback for the remaining matches. His potential inclusion will further bolster the Mumbai batting line-up.