Suryakumar Yadav will lead Mumbai Indians in their IPL 2025 opener, with regular captain Hardik Pandya serving the one-match suspension he picked up in the team’s last IPL 2024 game.
“We have been officially communicated that he has to miss (the first game),” head coach Mahela Jayawardene said at a news conference in Mumbai on Wednesday while confirming that Suryakumar would be leading the side in Hardik’s absence.
Mumbai Indians’ first game this season is against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Chepauk on Sunday.
Hardik said he was not aware of the consequences of maintaining a slow over-rate in last season’s game.
“That is out of my control. Last year what occurred is a part of the sport. We bowled the last over one-and-a-half or two minutes late. At that point I didn’t know the consequences,” Hardik said. “It is unfortunate, but the rules say it. I will have to go with the process.”
It’s also confirmed that MI will miss Jasprit Bumrah, who is still at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru recovering from the lower-back injury that has kept him out of action since January. He is expected to be out for a few matches in the initial stages.
Not having Bumrah “is a challenge” and “hopefully he can join the team soon”, Jayawardene said.
“(Bumrah) has just started his progress. We have to wait and see what their (BCCI medical team) feedback is on him,” Jayawardene said. “At the moment, everything is going well. But obviously, it is on a day-to-day basis. He is in good spirits. Not having him is a challenge. He is one of the best bowlers in the world and he has
been a fantastic pro for us for many years.
“We’ll have to wait or find an opportunity for someone else to step up. That’s how I see it. It gives us an element of trying a few things and see how things work. The early part of the season allows us to do that.”
The five-time champions will be banking on the core group they retained before the auction in November last year.
“Last season threw us some challenges, but it’s been a big auction, and a lot of changes have happened,” Jayawardene said. “With that, we got a fresh canvas to start and paint our destiny. We have the core group with us who’s got the experience, who knows what the culture is, how we need to play, and how we need to win.
“And with the new group of guys includes some of the old faces coming back — like Trent (Boult), who was a big part in our success in 2020. So, for us, it’s about putting this parcel together, making sure that we gel well as a group, understanding our strengths, and have a good start.”