Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya could be suspended from his team’s IPL 2025 campaign opener against Chennai Super Kings on March 23 – here’s why.
The five-times titleholders had a poor campaign last year, winning just four out of 14 matches to finish at the bottom of the points table. To make matters worse, MI faced another blow when Pandya, their skipper, faced a one-match suspension for their slow over-rate during their last match of IPL 2024 against Lucknow Super Giants.
It was the third time in the season that MI committed a slow-over rate offence. Consequently, Pandya was handed a one-match ban along with a fine of INR 30 lakhs, while the rest of the XII, including the impact player, were each individually fined INR 12 lakh or 50 percent of their match fees, whichever was lesser.
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Since MI copped the sanctions in their final match last season, Pandya’s suspension would come into effect during the team’s opening game against arch-nemesis CSK at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on March 23, during the season's first double-header weekend. The sanction would have stayed had Pandya changed his allegiance this year.
What do the laws say about Pandya's ban?
The IPL’s Code of Conduct levies various degrees of penalties on teams guilty of maintaining the required over-rate. MI committed the breach on three occasions, with the third one coming in their previous season's last match leading to Pandya's ban.
Here's what happens when a team fail to maintain the over-rate:
First Offense: INR 12 lakh fine for the captain.
Second Offense: INR 24 lakh fine for the captain; teammates (including the impact substitute) fined INR 6 lakh or 25% of their match fee, whichever is lesser.
Third Offense: One-match ban for the captain along with an INR 30 lakh fine; other players were fined INR 12 lakh or 50% of their match fee, whichever is lesser.
Pandya missing the first match means MI will need a stand-in captain. They could either opt for former skipper Rohit Sharma, under whom they won all their titles so far. Or they could choose one among Jasprit Bumrah or Suryakumar Yadav, both of whom have led India.
