Hardik Pandya Out Of IPL 2025 1st Match; Jaw-Dropping Reason Revealed

Once the fixtures of the Indian Premier League (IPL) were out for the 2025 season, most of the fans on social media started questioning Hardik Pandya’s availability for the opening game of the event for the Mumbai Indians, which will take place on March 23 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The five-time champions will be without their captain, Hardik Pandya, for the opening fixture as he coped a fine last season during their last league fixture against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Hardik Pandya faced a one-match ban for slow overrate

The Indian all-rounder received a fine of INR 30 lakh after the side’s final IPL 2024 group-stage clash against the LSG side. He also got a suspension from the franchise’s opening fixture of the IPL 2025 season. The veteran will, straightaway, be available from their next game against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 29.

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“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.” The official IPL media release stated.

“As it was his team’s third offense of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to a minimum over rate offenses, Pandya was fined ₹30 lakh and banned from playing the team’s next match.” It added.

All the other players of the side, including the former captain Rohit Sharma and the current Indian T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, also received a fine of INR 12 lakh or 50 percent of their match fee, whichever was lower.

It means the Blue franchise will have to find a replacement in the leadership department. The two best options are Suryakumar and Jasprit Bumrah. But the Indian premier pacer will also miss the opening game of the tournament due to his lower back injury, which ruled him out of the Champions Trophy 2025.

Hardik Pandya seeks contrasting IPL performance from the 2024 season

It was a nightmarish last season in the IPL for the Mumbai side and Hardik Pandya. None of the fans admitted the appointment, as Pandya received boos for the entire tournament. The franchise started the last season with three defeats before opening their account with two wins.

In the next five clashes, they collected just one solitary victory, which came against the Punjab Kings on April 18 by nine runs. Sunrisers Hyderabad fell on the wrong side on the winning margin.

Mumbai finished at the bottom of the points table with 10 defeats in 14 encounters at a net run rate of -0.318. They will hope to change the fate of the tournament. Hardik Pandya wasn’t in great form either, with the bat and ball in hand.

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But the all-rounder has changed himself since that period. He was one of the main reasons behind their T20 World Cup 2024 winning campaign in the West Indies and the USA.

Hardik Pandya eyes phenomenal performance in Champions Trophy 2025

Hardik Pandya is in excellent touch during the recent Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium for the Indian side. In the absence of the third seamer for the national side, he opened the bowling, as the side has gone with four spinners in the last two clashes against New Zealand and Australia at the semifinal.

Mumbai Indians will play their first home encounter on April 01 at the Wankhede Stadium against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).