Suryakumar Yadav To Lead Mumbai Indians In Hardik's Absence vs CSK

In a major update, Suryakumar Yadav is set to captain the Mumbai Indians in their opening IPL 2025 match against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 23. This decision comes as MI’s regular skipper, Hardik Pandya, will be absent due to a one-match suspension, a fact he himself confirmed.

Why is Hardik Pandya Suspended?

Hardik Pandya has been handed a one-match suspension for maintaining a slow over-rate during Mumbai Indians’ final game of IPL 2024 against Lucknow Super Giants. Since this was his third slow over-rate offence of the season, he was fined ₹30 lakh and given a one-match ban. The penalty carries forward to IPL 2025, ruling him out of the season opener.

Suryakumar Yadav Takes Over as Captain

With Hardik unavailable, Mumbai Indians have turned to Suryakumar Yadav to take charge. Head coach Mahela Jayawardene confirmed that the team was officially notified of Hardik’s suspension, prompting them to make this temporary adjustment.

Hardik also expressed his support for Surya’s leadership, stating, “Surya has already captained India in this format. In my absence, he is the best person to lead the team. He’s an exciting choice too.” Interestingly, Surya is currently India’s T20I captain and has been performing admirably in the role. Additionally, he has prior experience leading MI, having captained them in a single IPL match back in 2023.

With Suryakumar at the helm, Mumbai Indians will be eager to begin their campaign on a strong note against their long-time rivals, CSK.