Suryakumar Yadav to Captain Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025 Opener Against CSK
Mumbai Indians Set for IPL 2025 Kickoff
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 19: In a significant development for the Mumbai Indians (MI), Suryakumar Yadav will step in as captain for their opening match of the IPL 2025 season against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) this Sunday. This change comes as regular captain Hardik Pandya is sidelined due to a one-match suspension.
Hardik received this ban following a slow over-rate during the previous IPL 2024 match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). This marks the third instance where the 31-year-old has faced a one-match suspension along with a hefty fine of Rs. 30 lakh.
During a press conference in Mumbai, the T20 World Cup champion acknowledged the delay in the last over, which extended by nearly two minutes. He expressed that the timing of overs is often beyond his control.
“That is out of my control. What happened last year is part of the game. We bowled the last over one-and-a-half or two minutes late. At that moment, I was unaware of the repercussions,” the Gujarat-born player stated, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
He further mentioned that Suryakumar Yadav is the perfect candidate to lead the team in his absence. “It’s unfortunate, but the rules are in place. I must adhere to the process. Whether this rule continues next season is up to the higher authorities. They can certainly evaluate what is best. Surya, who leads India in T20Is, is the ideal choice when I’m unavailable,” he added.
The Mumbai Indians confirmed Yadav's captaincy through their official social media channels, announcing that he will lead the five-time champions in their first match of the 18th season against CSK, scheduled for March 23 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
“SKY (CAPTAIN) for our opening match vs CSK,” the Mumbai Indians posted on X.
https://x.com/mipaltan/status/1902262587284439525.
MI IPL 2025 Squad includes: Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Trent Boult (Rs. 12.50 crore), Naman Dhir (Rs. 5.25 crore), Robin Minz (Rs. 65 lakh), Karn Sharma (Rs. 50 lakh), Ryan Rickelton (Rs. 1 crore), Deepak Chahar (Rs. 9.25 crore), Mujjeb Ur Rehman, Will Jacks (Rs. 5.25 crore), Ashwani Kumar (Rs. 30 lakh), Mitchell Santner (Rs. 2 crore), Reece Topley (Rs. 75 lakh), Krishnan Shrijith (Rs. 30 lakh), Raj Angad Bawa (Rs. 30 lakh), Satyanarayana Raju (Rs. 30 lakh), Bevon Jacobs (Rs. 30 lakh), Arjun Tendulkar (Rs. 30 lakh), Lizaad Williams (Rs. 75 lakh), Vignesh Puthur (Rs. 30 lakh).