India, Jan. 5 -- Mumbai have handed Shreyas Iyer the captaincy for the rest of their Vijay Hazare Trophy league phase, a move that also signals that the batter's return to competitive cricket after a serious injury layoff.

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) confirmed that Iyer will replace Shardul Thakur, who has been forced out of the tournament. "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," MCA secretary Dr Umesh Khanvilkar said.

Thakur's injury, the MCA indicated, was sustained during Mumbai's previous league match against Maharashtra, and it rules him out of selection for the remaining game...