The schedule for the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been released. IPL 2025 is set to begin on March 22 in Kolkata, with Mumbai Indians kicking off their campaign against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on March 23.
However, MI will be without their skipper, Hardik Pandya, for this crucial opener. Notably, Hardik Pandya was penalized INR 30 lakh following Mumbai Indians’ final group-stage match of IPL 2024 against Lucknow Super Giants.
As a result, he has also been suspended from MI’s first fixture of IPL 2025. Therefore, Hardik Pandya will be available for Mumbai Indians in their second match of the season against Gujarat Titans on March 29.
“Hardik Pandya, the Mumbai Indians captain, has been fined after his team maintained a slow over rate during their IPL 2024 match against Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on May 17,” an official IPL media release had stated.
“As it was his team’s third offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over rate offences, Pandya was fined ₹30 lakh and banned from playing the team’s next match,” it added.
All other team members, including Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, were also penalized 50 percent of their match fees or INR 12 lakh, whichever was lower. With Hardik Pandya unavailable, it remains to be seen who will captain Mumbai Indians against CSK.
Rohit Sharma, a five-time IPL-winning captain, is a strong contender to lead the team in their opening match. The other possible options are the franchise’s retained players, Jasprit Bumrah and India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav.
IPL 2025 is set to commence on March 22
The 18th edition of the IPL will begin on March 22 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, featuring an opening clash between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
The first double-header is scheduled for March 23, with SunRisers Hyderabad facing Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings. The tournament will conclude with the final on May 25 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, while Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator will be held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
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