Mumbai Indians: Why Suryakumar Yadav, not Hardik Pandya, will captain MI against CSK on 23 March – Firstpost

Hardik Pandya has confirmed that Suryakumar Yadav will captain Mumbai Indians (MI) in his absence during the franchise’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 opener. MI’s first match of IPL 2025 is against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on 23 March at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Pandya will miss the IPL 2025 opener due to a one-match suspension for his team’s over-rate offence in the last season.
“Suryakumar Yadav leads India as well. He will lead Mumbai Indians in the first match,” Hardik said on Wednesday.
Hardik added that he feels lucky to be a part of a team that has multiple leaders on its side.
“I am lucky that I have three captains playing with me – Rohit (Sharma), Surya and (Jasprit) Bumrah. They always place an arm around my shoulder and are there when I need any help,” Pandya added.
Asked if he feels hard done by the ban for an offence that was committed last season, Pandya said: “That is out of my control. Last year what occurred was part of the sport; we were one and a half or two minutes late in the last over. I didn’t know the consequences at that time. It’s unfortunate, but rules say this. So I have to go with the rules. Next year (whether) they will continue with this rule or not, that is up to the higher authorities.”
Jasprit Bumrah, meanwhile, is still at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), recovering from a back injury suffered on the Australia tour. The back injury also forced him to miss the Champions Trophy 2025.
“We have to wait and see what NCA’s feedback on him (Bumrah) is. He is still there and in good spirits, hopefully he can join the team sooner,” MI coach Mahela Jayawardene said. “Not having him is a challenge…it’s also an opportunity for someone else to step up and show what they are capable of.”
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