The schedule for the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is out! IPL 2025 kicks off on March 22 in Kolkata, and the Mumbai Indians will face off against their rivals, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on March 23. Unfortunately, the Mumbai Indians will be missing their captain, Hardik Pandya, for this first match.

Hardik Pandya was hit with a fine of INR 30 lakh after the Mumbai Indians' last group stage game in IPL 2024 against the Lucknow Super Giants. He’s also been suspended for the opening match of IPL 2025.

The good news is that Hardik will be back for the Mumbai Indians' second game against the Gujarat Titans on March 29.

According to an official IPL media release, “Hardik Pandya, the captain of the Mumbai Indians, was fined after his team had a slow over rate during their IPL 2024 match against Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on May 17.”

It went on to explain that since it was the third time his team had violated the IPL’s Code of Conduct regarding over rates, he was fined ₹30 lakh and banned from the next match.

Other team members, including Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, also faced fines of 50 percent or INR 12 lakh of their match fees, whichever was less.

Now, it’ll be interesting to see who steps up to lead the Mumbai Indians against CSK without Hardik. Rohit Sharma, a five-time IPL champion, is a strong candidate to take charge, along with Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav, who are also in the mix.

IPL 2025 is set to kick off on March 22

The 18th season of the IPL kicks off on March 22 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The opening match features the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) taking on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

The first double-header is set for March 23, showcasing two matches: SunRisers Hyderabad vs. Rajasthan Royals and MI vs. CSK.

The grand finale will take place on May 25 at Eden Gardens, while Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator will be held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

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