IPL 2025: Captain Hardik Pandya Joins Mumbai Indians Squad After Champions Trophy Glory

Mumbai: India all-rounder and Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has officially joined the franchise squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.

Pandya was an integral part of India’s victorious campaign in the Champions Trophy held in Dubai. Under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, India defeated New Zealand in the final by four wickets to secure their third title in the eight-team tournament.

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Mumbai Indians Welcome Their Captain

Mumbai Indians shared a picture of their captain on X (formerly Twitter) and captioned it, “The GUN has arrived.”

Pandya played a key role in India’s success with his all-round skills. The 31-year-old was pivotal in India’s strategy of playing four spinners and also delivered match-winning performances with the bat while coming in at No.7.

Hopes for a Better IPL 2025 Season

The IPL 2024 season was Pandya’s first as Mumbai Indians captain, but it did not go as planned. The franchise finished at the bottom of the standings with only four wins in 14 matches. The all-rounder will be aiming for a much-improved performance in the upcoming season.

However, Pandya will miss MI’s opening match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 23 due to a one-match suspension from the previous season. The penalty was imposed after Mumbai Indians committed three over-rate violations during IPL 2024, which, as per IPL rules, results in the captain facing a suspension.

Intensive Pre-Season Training Underway

On Monday, MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene, along with coaching staff members Paras Mhambrey and Lasith Malinga (bowling coaches), J. Arun Kumar (assistant batting coach), and Carl Hopkinson (fielding coach), conducted an intensive training session for the squad.

Several players, including Naman Dhir, Bevon Jacobs, Robin Minz, KL Srijith, Raj Angad Bawa, PSN Raju, Ashwani Kumar, and Vignesh Puthur, joined the camp to kick off their preparations for the season.

Jayawardene on Preparing for a Tough Season

Head coach Mahela Jayawardene shared his thoughts on the upcoming season, saying:

“A new season means a fresh start. We have new faces in the coaching team who bring decades of high-performance experience, providing players with a wealth of knowledge to learn from. Pre-season is always exciting, but intensity is paramount. That’s what we want to establish today and take forward. It’s going to be a tough season, but we want to ensure that we prepare well while we have the time.”

With the Mumbai Indians camp in full swing, fans eagerly anticipate a strong comeback from the franchise under Pandya’s leadership in IPL 2025.