Mumbai held their nerve in a fog-shortened 33-over contest to defeat Himachal Pradesh by seven runs at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya ground on Tuesday. The victory officially secures Mumbai’s spot in the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarterfinals, alongside Punjab from Elite Group C.
Shreyas Iyer, returning to competitive cricket after a two-month injury layoff, led the side as stand-in captain in the absence of the injured Shardul Thakur. Despite a delayed start and challenging conditions, Mumbai’s star-studded lineup posted a formidable 299/9 before surviving a late scare during the chase.
After Mumbai lost openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (15) and Sarfaraz Khan (21) early, Iyer and Musheer Khan stabilized the innings with an 82-run partnership. Musheer, who was later named Player of the Match, struck 73 off 51 balls, while Iyer smashed 82 off 53 deliveries, including 10 boundaries and three sixes.
Suryakumar Yadav added a quick-fire 24, entertaining the crowd before falling to Kushal Pal, who claimed 3 for 52. Late cameos from Shivam Dube and Sairaj Patil ensured Mumbai nearly touched the 300-run mark in just 33 overs.
Iyer’s performance was under scrutiny as he is currently the vice-captain for the upcoming New Zealand ODI series, subject to fitness. Although he survived two early scares when he was dropped at slip on scores of 2 and 4, he regained his rhythm to dominate the left-arm spinners.
“Shreyas has been watching me since childhood... he always told us to go and play our game freely,” Musheer Khan said regarding his partnership with the skipper. The young batter, who also plays under Iyer at Punjab Kings in the IPL, noted that the captain’s backing has helped him play his natural game.
In our team, we are told to play our game freely," Musheer explained. "It is ensured that we are not stopped from playing our natural game, and that actually helps." This philosophy allowed Iyer to ignore his two early dropped catches at slip and commit fully to attacking the spinners. His ability to hit "inside-out" over the covers and straight down the ground meant Himachal's captain had to frequently move fielders from the inner circle, opening up further scoring gaps.
Himachal Pradesh mounted a serious challenge to the target of 300, driven by half-centuries from Mayank Dagar, Ankush Bains, and Pukhraj Mann. Dagar and Bains shared a 110-run stand for the third wicket, keeping Himachal in the hunt until the final stages.
However, Mumbai’s experienced bowlers triggered a collapse in the middle order. With Himachal needing 12 runs to win in the final over, Shivam Dube, who took 4 for 68, held his nerve to dismiss the opposition for 292 with just two balls remaining.
Iyer’s ability to dominate a seasoned spinner like Dagar is a indicator for the national selectors ahead of the New Zealand ODI series. Having missed two months due to injury, the main concern was his ability to rotate strike and find boundaries against quality spin in the middle overs. By finishing with a strike rate of 154.72 and proving his fitness through a high-intensity 82-run knock, Iyer has likely cleared the final hurdle for his return to the Indian squad as vice-captain.