Cricketer Hardik Pandya will not be the captain of Mumbai Indians for the opening match against Chennai Super Kings on March 23. Captain Hardik Pandya’s one-match suspension for his team’s over-rate offence in the last Indian Premier League season is being carried up to this season. For the opening match of Mumbai Indians’ Cricketer Suryakumar Yadav will perform the captaincy duties said Hardik Pandya during a press conference on March 19.
Answering the question about his suspension Hardik Pandya said, “Suryakumar Yadav leads India as well. He will lead Mumbai Indians in the first match."
Also Read: Rapper Hanumankind Meets 'GOAT' Virat Kohli at RCB Unbox Event 2025 (Watch Video)
He added, "I am lucky that I have three captains playing with me - Rohit (Sharma), Surya and (Jasprit) Bumrah. They always place an arm around my shoulder and are there when I need any help."
It's still unclear, though, when Bumrah will be fit enough to rejoin the MI team after his back injury. He is still at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) as of now, Jayawardene affirmed.
Mumbai Indians’ team's coach Mahela Jayawardene too attended the press conference and he said, "We have to wait and see what NCA's feedback on him (Bumrah) is. He is still there and in good spirits, hopefully, he can join the team sooner. Not having him is a challenge...it's also an opportunity for someone else to step up and show what they are capable of.”
Hardik was also questioned about whether he believed that the regulation should be changed to prevent a prior season's infraction from affecting the current one.
