Even though Hardik Pandya will miss the Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2025 opener against the Chennai Super Kings on Sunday in Chennai because of a one-match suspension from the previous IPL, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh thinks the all-rounder stands out from the others because he believes in his ability to succeed.

For Pandya, the IPL 2022 winning captain who had a disastrous season in every way, the 2025 competition seems to be crucial.

Even though the five-time winners ended bottom in the points table, the audience jeered the all-rounder in the first half of the 2024 Indian Premier League because MI management had chosen to designate him captain instead of Rohit Sharma after he had joined from the Gujarat Titans.

The team always looks much better with Jasprit on the field, according to Mark Boucher, the former South Africa cricket player who was the head coach of the Mumbai Indians for the last two IPL seasons. He also claimed that his absence for the first IPL 2025 matches isn’t good for the team.

Due to a lower back injury that kept him from bowling in the second innings of the fifth Test match in Sydney, Bumrah is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (previously the National Cricket Academy) in Bengaluru. Bumrah hasn’t played since, and he even missed India’s successful Champions Trophy campaign.

“It is immediately not good for Mumbai Indians to be without Jasprit Bumrah. He is perhaps the best T20 bowler in the world, and his ability to bowl in both the powerplay and the last overs makes him a match winner in and of himself. The Mumbai Indians, led by Jasprit Bumrah, will always be a superior team.

“I wish I had Jasprit Bumrah during my debut season, when he was sidelined by a back injury in the 2023 Indian Premier League.” I firmly believe that we might have been a title contender if we had him“, Boucher, a JioStar specialist, stated.

In the IPL, Bumrah has taken 165 wickets in 133 games for MI. According to Boucher, his absence will force MI to change their bowling strategy and four overseas players, with Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar emerging as important contributors.

“They can choose Ryan Rickleton and Will Jacks as bowlers if they think they would wish to add another Indian. They have a lot of possibilities, in my opinion. Since Robin Minz is an unidentified character, I’m very curious to see if they play him. Naman Dhir can also open the batting, so you have him as well.

But from a bowling perspective, Ryan Rickleton will be outstanding. Will Jacks has performed admirably. It’s all about the possibilities, though, as I mentioned. “They may have to sacrifice one of the opening batsmen if they wish to bolster their bowling with the internationals,” he said.