Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya is facing the consequences of the slow over-rate penalty from the previous season.
Due to the penalty received in last year’s IPL, Hardik Pandya will not be able to play in the first match of this season. In his absence, Suryakumar Yadav will captain Mumbai Indians in their opening match against Chennai Super Kings.
Mumbai’s head coach, Mahela Jayawardene, confirmed this at a press conference on Wednesday, saying, “We have been officially informed that Hardik will not be available for the first match.”
Mumbai was penalized for a slow over-rate in their final league match of the 2024 season against Lucknow Super Giants. They had already faced similar penalties in two earlier matches during that season.
According to IPL regulations, after three instances of slow over-rates, captain Pandya has been suspended for one match and fined ₹30 lakh. The suspension is now being enforced.
Pandya was unaware that he would have to face this penalty.
“This is out of my control. What happened last year is part of the game. We were late by about a minute or two for the last over. At that time, I didn’t know the consequences. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the rule, and I have to go through the process. Whether they will continue this rule next season, I think it depends on the higher authorities. I’m sure they’ll review what can be done.”
“Suryakumar leads India in T20s. He’s the ideal choice for this format when I’m not in the team.”
The IPL 2025 season will kick off this Saturday, with Mumbai facing Chennai Super Kings in their first match the following day.
