Suryakumar Yadav will captain Mumbai Indians in their first match of IPL 2025 against Chennai Super Kings on March 23 (Sunday) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Regular captain Hardik Pandya will miss the season opener because he was banned for one match due to repeated over-rate offenses last year.
Suryakumar Yadav to Captain MI in IPL 2025 Season Opener
MI was found to be short of the required over rate in their last game of IPL 2024 against Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium. Hardik was also fined 30% of his match fee for this being his third offense.
Speaking in a pre-match conference ahead of the first match of IPL 2025, Hardik Pandya said: “Suryakumar Yadav leads India as well. When I am not there, he is the ideal choice in this format and an exciting one as well,”
When asked about the one-match suspension, Hardik said it was something he couldn’t control. “That is out of my control. Last year what occured is a part of the sport. What happened is that we bowled the last over 2-2.5 minutes late. At that time, I was not aware of the consequences. It was unfortunate but rules say it so I have to go with the process. Whether the penalty should continue in the next season or not, it is on the higher authorities.”
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Suryakumar Yadav is the national T20 captain and recently led the team to a 4-1 victory over England at home. However, his batting form wasn’t great, and he only scored 38 runs in the five matches of the series.
MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene said the BCCI informed the team about Pandya’s one-match ban due to three slow over-rate violations by his team last season.
MI finished last in the standings in 2024, with only four wins and 10 losses, during Pandya’s debut year as captain. He took over from Rohit Sharma, who had led the team to five trophies but was struggling at that point.
Jasprit Bumrah’s Return Date Uncertain, Says Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene revealed that the return date for ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is not yet confirmed. Bumrah, who missed the Champions Trophy due to a back injury in the last Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January, is currently at the NCA for recovery.
“Jasprit Bumrah is at the NCA. We have to wait and see their feedback on him. At the moment, it is going well; the progress is on a day-to-day basis,” said Jayawardene during MI’s pre-season press meet on Wednesday. “He is in good spirits, and not having him is a challenge. He is the best bowler in the world,” he added.
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