Big Setback For Mumbai Indians As Skipper Hardik Pandya To Miss First Match Of IPL 2025; Here's Why

Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, the five-times champions Mumbai Indians managed to retain their superstar quartet of Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav along with young talented batter Tilak Varma. 

During the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction, which will be held on November 24 and 25 at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians will have the opportunity to buy back one of their released players as they have one Right to Match (RTM) card available.  

Mumbai Indians won their last title in 2020 and they finished at the last spot during the IPL 2024. So, they will look to build a solid squad for the 2025 edition of the cash-rich league. 

It will be interesting to see how the Mumbai-based franchise operates at the auction. Irrespective of their squad formation, the franchise will be in a bit of trouble at the start of the IPL 2025 season as Mumbai Indians will miss the services of their skipper Hardik Pandya. 

Notably, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik was fined Rs 30 lakh and suspended from his team’s next match for slow over-rate offence for the third time during the IPL 2024.  

"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," a media release from IPL 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 Rs 30 lakh and banned from playing the team’s next match," it further said. 

Since Mumbai Indians' IPL 2024 campaign ended with that match against Lucknow Super Giants, Pandya’s suspension will only come into effect during the team's opening game of the IPL 2025 season. As a result, Hardik will miss the first match of IPL 2025 for Mumbai Indians. 

In Hardik's absence, Surya Kumar Yadav, who is the current T20I captain of the Indian team, could lead Mumbai Indians in the first match of IPL 2025. 

Hardik Pandya To Play Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya will represent Baroda in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024 and he is set to play under the captaincy of his elder brother, Krunal Pandya. The SMAT 2024 will mark Hardik's return to domestic cricket after a considerable hiatus. 

The 31-year-old all-rounder also reclaimed the number one spot in the latest ICC T20I rankings released on Wednesday.