The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 preparations are in full swing, following a meeting of the IPL Governing Council on Saturday. Several key decisions were made during this meeting, covering important topics such as rules for uncapped players, Right to Match (RTM) policy, player retention guidelines, match fees, and franchise purse. Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is likely to kickstart in last week of March or first week of April.
For those who may not be aware, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will miss the opening match of IPL 2025 season, whether he plays for Mumbai Indians or another team, should he switch franchises after IPL 2025 mega auction.
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Here’s why Hardik Pandya will miss his opening match in IPL 2025
Hardik Pandya made a crucial mistake as his team Mumbai Indians (MI) failed to complete their 20 overs within the allotted time in their final league stage match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), last year. This marked the third instance in 2024 IPL season where Pandya found himself in such a situation. As a result, he faced a fine of INR 30 lakh and received a one-match suspension.
Hardik Pandya will be ineligible to play in his first match of IPL 2025 due to the suspension he received during 2024 IPL season. In addition to him, Rishabh Pant has also been handed a one-match suspension.
IPL 2024 proved to be lackluster for Mumbai Indians. The team could only secure four wins throughout the season, ultimately landing at the bottom of points table.
Throughout the 2024 season, Hardik Pandya faced criticism from fans for stepping in as a replacement for Rohit Sharma as captain of Mumbai Indians, coupled with his disappointing individual performance.
However, the star all-rounder rebounded strongly in T20 World Cup 2024. His highlight moment came in the final over of final match against South Africa, where he defended 16 runs off six balls.
Pandya’s remarkable final over, which saw him concede only six runs while dismissing two South African batters, secured India’s historic title win and ended the nation’s long wait for an ICC tournament title.