The 18th edition of the IPL (Indian Premier League) 2025 is all set to kick off on March 22. The 10 teams will lock horns against each other in a bid to clinch the title. With the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and many more big names, they will participate in the tournament.
With the start of the competition looming on the horizon, many eyes would be set upon five-time champions Mumbai Indians. The side, under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition after they finished in last place in the standings.
However, with the new season, MI will hope to improve, and the side will aim to register their sixth IPL title win. Ahead of the new edition, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra came forward and talked about how IPL 2025 is a land of opportunities for MI skipper Hardik Pandya.
"The biggest opportunity is for Hardik Pandya. He was almost the heir apparent to Rohit Sharma at one point. He used to be the captain wherever Rohit Sharma wasn't there. It was almost a given that he would be the white-ball captain. However, suddenly, he has gone out of the captaincy list," Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.
"No one is even discussing him. He is not even being made the vice-captain. The guy has performed strongly. He is a clutch player. He is the one who delivers almost every single time in clutch situations. He won the Gujarat Titans the title and took them to the final the second year," he added.
Furthermore, Chopra opined that the IPL 2025 could be the biggest chance for Pandya to redeem himself as a leader. After an impressive captaincy stint with Gujarat Titans, the star India all-rounder will hope for a similar showing with MI and will hope to forget the previous seasons.
"After that, suddenly, he is nowhere. He is not in the captaincy list. So it will be a season of slight personal redemption for him. Can he as a captain take the Mumbai Indians to their former glory? Of course, there will be acceptance this time, but I think the biggest opportunity lies with Hardik Pandya," Chopra noted.