Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya missed the franchise’s opening match of IPL 2025 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday, March 23, due to a ban imposed by the BCCI stemming from a slow over-rate offence in the previous season.
According to the IPL 2024 Code of Conduct, Pandya was fined Rs 30 lakh after MI’s last league match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Wankhede Stadium on May 17, 2024. It was MI’s third offence of the season related to maintaining a minimum over-rate, which led to Pandya’s suspension for one match.
The official IPL statement had said:
“As it was his team’s third offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Pandya was fined ₹30 lakh and banned from playing the team’s next match.”
However, during a recent meeting involving all IPL captains and team managers at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, the board decided to replace match bans for such offences with the ICC’s demerit points system. Under this, captains will now accumulate points for violations, with potential suspensions applicable only in extreme or repeated cases. But Pandya’s one-match ban, being from the previous system, still applied to the season opener.
What about Jasprit Bumrah?
MI’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was also absent due to an injury sustained during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in December 2024. He missed India’s Champions Trophy campaign and is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
MI head coach Mahela Jayawardena confirmed that while Bumrah has begun light training, his return will depend on day-to-day progress and feedback from the medical team.
Mumbai Indians, thus, entered their first match of IPL 2025 without their two most experienced stars — Pandya and Bumrah.
