Mumbai Indians (MI) will face a tough start in IPL 2025. Star bowler Jasprit Bumrah might miss a few matches due to injury, and captain Hardik Pandya is banned for the first match. Mumbai Indians will play their first match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 23 at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
You might be wondering why Hardik Pandya is banned even before IPL starts. Let’s find out.
Hardik Pandya’s IPL Journey
Hardik Pandya started his IPL career in 2015 with Mumbai Indians and played for them until 2021. In 2022, he joined Gujarat Titans (GT) as captain and led them to their first IPL title. In 2023, he guided Gujarat to the final, but they lost to Chennai Super Kings.
After two successful seasons with GT, Hardik returned to Mumbai Indians in November 2023 and became the team’s captain for IPL 2024.
Why is Hardik Pandya Banned for the First Match?
During IPL 2024, Mumbai Indians were penalized three times for slow over-rate under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy.
- First Offense – Hardik was fined ₹12 lakh.
- Second Offense – Hardik and the other players were fined ₹12 lakh each.
- Third Offense – Hardik was fined ₹30 lakh and given a one-match ban. The other players were also fined.
Mumbai received their third slow over-rate penalty in a match against Lucknow Super Giants during IPL 2024. Because of this, Hardik is now suspended for the first match of IPL 2025.
When Will Hardik Pandya Return?
Since it is only a one-match ban, Hardik will be back in the squad after the first game and will lead Mumbai Indians in the rest of the season.
