New Delhi: Mumbai Indians (MI), the five-time IPL champions, are set to begin their IPL 2025 campaign against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 23. After finishing at the bottom of the points table last season, MI is considered one of the strongest contenders this year. With match-winners like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah in their squad, the team is expected to make a strong comeback.
However, Mumbai Indians will be without their captain Hardik Pandya and star pacer Jasprit Bumrah for their opening match. Hardik Pandya is serving a one-match suspension due to a slow over-rate penalty imposed last season. Since Mumbai had already played all their league matches when the penalty was issued, he will miss the first game this season. On the other hand, Bumrah is yet to fully recover from his injury, making him unavailable for the crucial encounter against CSK.
Impact of Hardik & Bumrah’s Absence on Mumbai Indians
With Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah unavailable, Mumbai Indians will have to make key adjustments to their playing XI. Rohit Sharma, the most successful MI captain, is likely to play a crucial leadership role despite Hardik leading the team this season. In Hardik’s absence, MI might promote Cameron Green or Tim David to finish games alongside Suryakumar Yadav.
For the bowling attack, without Bumrah, MI could rely on Jofra Archer, Jason Behrendorff, or young Akash Madhwal to handle the pace department. Spin duties may be shared by Piyush Chawla and Shreyas Gopal.
Mumbai Indians’ Probable Playing XI vs CSK
1. Rohit Sharma
2. Ishan Kishan (wk)
3. Suryakumar Yadav
4. Tilak Varma
5. Cameron Green
6. Tim David
7. Nehal Wadhera
8. Piyush Chawla
9. Jofra Archer
10. Jason Behrendorff
11. Akash Madhwal
Despite these setbacks, MI remains a formidable team with a strong squad depth. Their first match against CSK will be a high-voltage clash, setting the tone for the rest of their IPL 2025 journey.