Pandya Handed One-Match Ban, Suryakumar to Lead Mumbai Indians in IPL Opener

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya will miss the team's IPL opener against Chennai Super Kings due to a one-match ban, with Suryakumar Yadav set to lead the team in his absence.

Suryakumar Yadav has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the Mumbai Indians in their Indian Premier League (IPL) opener against the Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. This development comes as regular skipper Hardik Pandya will be serving a one-match ban.

The ban imposed on Pandya is a result of Mumbai Indians' slow over-rate in their final league game last season, which marked their third offence of the season. As per the regulations, this infringement led to a one-match suspension for the team's captain, Pandya.

Hardik Pandya has acknowledged the one-match ban he will serve due to Mumbai Indians' slow over-rate in their final league game last season. “That is out of my control,” Pandya said during a pre-tournament press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Pandya expressed some surprise at the consequences of the slow over-rate, stating, “We bowled the last over one-and-a-half or two minutes late. At that point, I didn't know the consequences.” Despite the setback, Pandya has accepted the ban, saying, “It is unfortunate, but the rules say it. I will have to go with the process.”

Hardik Pandya message to MI fans🔥
"When I will come to bat, hit sixes and take wickets cheer loudly for me and my team"😁@hardikpandya7 @mipaltan 💙 pic.twitter.com/8Ul95GERrh

— Rohan Gangta (@rohan_gangta) March 19, 2025

Mumbai Indians have a wealth of leadership options within their squad. Apart from Suryakumar Yadav, who will lead the team in Pandya's absence, they also have Rohit Sharma, the India test and one-day captain, and Jasprit Bumrah, who has captained in tests and T20 Internationals. However, Bumrah will miss the early part of the league due to a back injury he suffered in Australia earlier this year.

Hardik Pandya feels fortunate to have multiple leadership options within the Mumbai Indians squad. “I'm lucky that I have three captains who are playing with me,” Pandya said, highlighting the presence of experienced leaders. He further emphasized the value of having multiple seasoned captains, stating, “I know that there are three different minds, who have led India in different formats and so many years of experience are always there.”

Hardik Pandya Confidence🗿 pic.twitter.com/ei8FCocCiq

— 𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕚𝕥 (@vkforever1817) March 19, 2025

Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are the two most successful teams in the Indian Premier League, with five titles each. Mumbai's head coach, Mahela Jayawardene, expressed his team's ambition to claim a sixth IPL trophy. “It's not an easy thing to win an IPL trophy, we all know that, and Mumbai has been successful delivering that,” Jayawardene said.

Jayawardene highlighted the team's strategy to build a strong core and leverage the experience of players who have won IPL titles with other franchises. “We have seven guys in our main squad who have won IPL trophies with different franchises,” he noted. As the coach, Jayawardene's focus is on creating a solid structure, maximizing the team's potential, and introducing new elements to enhance their competitiveness. “As a coach, I'm trying to get that structure in place, get the best out of them, and then add the other elements that we need to add to be a bit more different.”