Team India, ahead of the ODI series against New Zealand, has got a seasonable boost with Shreyas Iyer returning to ambitious cricket and taking up a leadership role of Mumbai.
The 31-year-old batsman, who recently recovered from a spleen injury, has been named Mumbai’s captain for the final league games of the 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Shardul Thakur, the regular captain, has been declared unfit for the competition due to an injury; Iyer will replace him.
After being hurt in October 2025 while attempting to make a diving catch to dismiss Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey during the third ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Iyer’s comeback marks the beginning of his first competitive match. After completing his recuperation, he is now prepared to captain Mumbai in Elite Group C, with games scheduled to take place in Jaipur.
Currently, Mumbai is in the second position in the group and their next match is against Himachal Pradesh, followed by a game against Punjab on January 8. The Mumbai Cricket Association, in an official announcement, confirmed the change in the captaincy.
The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) has made a decision to appoint Shreyas Iyer as captain of the Mumbai senior men’s team for the remaining matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy league, as disclosed by MCA Secretary Prof. Dr. Unmesh Khanvilkar. “Shardul Thakur is out with injury, and hence, we have got Shreyas who is a very calm personality with added international experience, and he also has good tactical awareness so he is a great plus for the team.”
MCA hopes that Iyer will be able to lead the team, visiting the doctor—as Mumbai has always been a strong team in cricket with a great tradition behind it, and also sent their regard to Thakur for his speedy recovery.
As far as Iyer’s fitness is concerned, he will be under close surveillance, particularly with the ODI series against New Zealand scheduled to start on January 11 in Vadodara. He has already been included in the national team but his playing will be subjected to medical clearance which will be after the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches.
In the event that Iyer gets the green light for the Indian team, Mumbai would have to appoint a new captain for the knockout stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy which starts on January 12 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru.
