Shreyas Iyer is set to take charge of Mumbai on his return after a three-month layoff. The Mumbai Cricket Association announced on Monday that he will step in as captain following Shardul Thakur’s exit from the remainder of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Iyer is poised for a comeback as Mumbai face Himachal Pradesh in Jaipur on Tuesday, January 6, with the Jaipura Vidyalaya Ground set to host the clash.

His return comes amid a recovery from a spleen injury suffered in Australia. He was admitted to hospital in Sydney.

After a ten-day stint at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence, Shreyas was declared match-ready by the BCCI medical panel. The BCCI’s medical team approved his comeback once he made in a warm-up match.

“Shreyas Iyer has been appointed captain following Shardul Thakur’s injury, which has made him unavailable for the remainder of the tournament,” the MCA said.

The return of Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube adds depth to Mumbai’s squad. Given that their last league-stage outing comes against Punjab on January 8, Iyer is expected to be available for that game as well.

India have handed Shreyas the vice-captaincy for the three-ODI home series versus New Zealand, starting January 11 in Vadodara. His selection by the Ajit Agarkar–headed committee is subject to fitness clearance.

The Mumbai batter must tick all fitness boxes in the remaining two Vijay Hazare Trophy games ahead of the New Zealand ODI series.