MI will open IPL 2025 on March 23 against CSK in IPL 2025 in Chennai.
Mumbai Indians (MI) will open their IPL 2025 season in a blockbuster encounter against rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 23 in Chennai. However, MI will be without their captain Hardik Pandya for this match.
MI skipper Hardik will miss the opening game as he will be serving a one-match ban from last season. This was due to slow overrate penalties. MI retained Hardik for INR 16.35 crore.
Instead, Hardik Pandya has confirmed that Suryakumar Yadav will captain MI in the opening match in his place.
"Suryakumar Yadav leads India as well. He will lead Mumbai Indians in the first match of TATA IPL 2025,” he said in the MI presser.
MI retained Hardik for INR 16.35 crore. MI, led by Hardik, won only four of 14 IPL 2024 matches and finished last (10th) with eight points.
MI's first two IPL 2025 games will be played away from home, first in Chennai against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 23 and then in Ahmedabad against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on March 29.
Even before the first ball is bowled in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Mumbai Indians face an almost impossible job. Without Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar are responsible for leading the seam bowling attack.
They may be adequate to cover the powerplay overs, but the depth and variety of Bumrah, particularly near the end, cannot be overlooked.
MI coach Mahela Jayawardena gave a detailed explanation of the team's plans to cope with the absence of ace pacer Bumrah for the first few matches of the tournament.
"Jasprit Bumrah is with the NCA (National Cricket Academy). He just started the progress. We will wait for feedback. Everything is going well so far. It is a day-to-day process. We hope he can join the team at the earliest. Obviously not having him is a challenge, he is one of the best bowlers in the world. We will have to find ways and it is about opportunities for someone else. We need to find an element early in the season and see what works," said Jayawardena.
Bumrah is expected to miss the opening few rounds of IPL 2025 as he recovers from a lower back injury that has sidelined him since January.
Bumrah suffered an injury on Day 2 of the fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and did not bowl in the second innings.
Bumrah, who took 32 wickets in five matches in that series, has been sidelined ever since, missing India's successful Champions Trophy campaign.