Bad news for Mumbai Indians, Hardik Pandya to miss MI's opening IPL 2025 fixture against CSK due to....

The Indian Premier League's (IPL) 18th edition schedule has been formally revealed. IPL 2025 is scheduled to start in Kolkata on March 22. On March 23, the Mumbai Indians will play their opponents, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), in Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium. Regretfully, Hardik Pandya, the captain of the Mumbai Indians, will miss this first game.

It's important to mention that Hardik Pandya was fined INR 30 lakh after the Mumbai Indians' final group stage match of IPL 2024 against the Lucknow Super Giants. As a result, he has been suspended for the franchise's first match of IPL 2025.

Thus, Hardik Pandya will only be able to rejoin the Mumbai Indians for their second match against the 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 team members, including Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, have been fined 50 percent of their match fees, capped at INR 12 lakh.

With Hardik Pandya absent, there's speculation about who will captain the Mumbai Indians against CSK. Rohit Sharma, a five-time IPL champion, is a leading candidate for the position. Other possible choices include Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav, who is also the captain of India's T20I team.

The 18th edition of the IPL is set to begin on March 22 at the historic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The opening match will see the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The first double-header is planned for March 23, featuring matches between SunRisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals, followed by the Mumbai Indians facing the Chennai Super Kings.

The IPL final is scheduled for May 25 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, while Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator will take place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

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