Who will captain Mumbai Indians against CSK in the absence of Hardik Pandya?
The Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) schedule was announced earlier today and will see five-time winners Mumbai Indians (MI) take on the joint most successful team Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a blockbuster clash in their tournament opener.
However, MI will be without the services of their skipper Hardik Pandya for the marquee fixture. This is because Pandya will be serving a one-match ban that he picked up at the end of last season (IPL 2024) for accumulating three over-rate offences.
His suspension will thus take effect in MI’s opening game of the IPL 2025 season, scheduled against CSK in Chennai on March 23 (Sunday).
Apart from the match ban, the premier India all-rounder was also fined INR 30 lakhs. While the franchise generally pays the over-rate fine, the suspension has to be served by the player himself.
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With Pandya being forced to sit out the crucial encounter, the Mumbai Indians will have to elect a new captain in that game. In all probability, it is likely that India’s T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav can take over the captaincy reins although bestowing the chance on former skipper Rohit Sharma wouldn’t be unlikely.
Mumbai Indians had one of their worst seasons in IPL history last year, ending at the bottom of the points table. With their captain ruled out for the opening match this season, making a strong comeback won’t be easy. Additionally, frequent travel due to alternating fixtures and having only two consecutive matches at their home ground will add to their challenges this season.
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