Hardik Pandya banned from first match of IPL 2025, here's why

Hardik Pandya-led MI finished at bottom of the IPL 2024 standings with eight points.

The five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI), led by Hardik Pandya, ended their campaign on a poor note as they lost their final league match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Wankhede Stadium on May 17.

Under the leadership of Hardik, Mumbai finished at the bottom of the points table with just four wins to their name in 14 matches. Apart from his poor captiancy, the all-rounder also had a horrific run with the bat and ball.

In 14 matches, Pandya managed to score 216 runs. With the ball, the MI skipper scalped 11 wickets at an economy of 10.75.

Hardik Pandya all set to miss the first match of the IPL 2025

However, there is another bad news for the new MI captain as he has been banned from first match of next year’s IPL in a year’s advance. This happened because of his team’s slow over-rate offence against LSG in their last match of IPL 2024.

Following the game, Mumbai skipper Hardik has been fined Rs 30 lakhs and handed suspension for one match for maintaining a slow over-rate. A team’s captain is fined Rs. 12 lakhs for first offence of slow over-rate while for the second time, captain gets fined Rs. 24 lakhs. On third offence in a season, captain of the side is imposed a fine of Rs. 30 lakhs along with one match suspension.

“Hardik Pandya, the Mumbai Indians captain, has been fined after his team maintained a slow over rate during their IPL 2024 match against Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on May 17,” a media release stated.

“As it was his team’s third offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over rate offences, Pandya was fined Rs 30 lakh and banned from playing the team’s next match,” the release added.

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