Not Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav to captain Mumbai Indians in MI vs CSK match | IPL 2025

Suryakumar Yadav will captain the Mumbai Indians in their opening match of the IPL 2025 season.  Regular skipper Hardik Pandya is serving a one-match ban, making him unavailable for the first game.

“Surya leads India as well. When I am not there, he is the ideal choice in this format and an exciting one as well,” Hardik said on March 19 during Mumbai's pre-season press conference in Mumbai.

Mumbai Indians will begin their campaign against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 23 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Team India’s current T20I captain previously captained Mumbai Indians in one IPL match in 2023.

Hardik Pandya has been handed a one-match ban for maintaining a slow over-rate during Mumbai Indians’ last game of the 2024 IPL season against Lucknow Super Giants. This was his third offence, resulting in a ₹30 lakh fine and a suspension that carries into the 2025 season opener.

Hardik Pandya’s captaincy records

Hardik was appointed Mumbai Indians’ full-time captain in 2024. He replaced Rohit Sharma, who led the team to five IPL titles. The decision was not taken well by MI fans who loved HITMAN as their captain.

Hardik has captained 45 IPL matches, winning 26 and losing 19. His record reflects a winning percentage of around 57.7%. However, his captaincy for Mumbai shows a different picture.

Mumbai finished last in IPL 2024, winning 4 out of 14 matches. With 10 losses and a -0.318 NRR, their campaign ended with only 8 points.

Before that, Hardik Pandya captained Gujarat Titans for two seasons. GT won the trophy in the first season and finished as runners-up in the next under Hardik’s leadership.

Mumbai Indians predicted XI against CSK

Against MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai are expected to go for a balanced mix of experience and youth. With Rohit, SKY and Bumrah leading the charge, Robin Minz and Will Jacks add flair to the Mumbai Indians team.

MI Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Will Jacks, Mitchell Santner, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Karn Sharma.