The bad news for Mumbai Indians’ preparations for the IPL in January 2025 is that their Indian captain, Hardik Pandya, has been suspended for the first match.
The BCCI, in its release, stated that Pandya has been fined and sanctioned with a ban on playing the first match of the upcoming IPL due to his team’s slow over rate, as reported during the 2024 edition’s last match against Lucknow Super Giants.
This is the occasion when Pandya faces his third penalty from the IPL due to his team’s slow over rate this season. He is regarded as participating in an IPL offense that obliges his suspension of one match as per the Code of Conduct of the IPL. Along with the entire Mumbai Indians playing XI, the rest of the Mumbai Indians whole team also stands fined.
Mumbai Indians are certain to feel the pinch and the off-the-beat performance the IPL 2024 edition brought after only 4 wins in 14 games under Pandya’s captaincy. The captain, on the other hand, played a major role as an all-rounder of the team.
He admitted that the quality of the game was not up to the mark, and eventually, it was responsible for the loss of the whole season. Pandya stated, “It was quite a tough job. We did not play good quality cricket, and the loss of the whole season happened because of this.”
Now, the Mumbai Indians’ team management either will find an alternative replacement for Pandya to head the side in a tournament opener or will do what is necessary if they want to keep Pandya as a basic captain.
