IPL 2025 heats up: Pant’s perspective, Jadeja’s grand entry and Pandya’s challenge

Dubai: The Indian Premier League 18 countdown has begun, and cricket’s biggest stars are back in action. Fresh off a triumphant Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai, teams are clocking in their final preparations. The rivalries are set, the stakes are high, and the intensity is rising.

But amid the IPL frenzy, Rishabh Pant has thrown a different perspective into the mix — arguing that a player’s ultimate goal should be to represent India, not just shine in the league.

Despite missing India’s Champions Trophy matches, Pant believes national duty should always come first.

Speaking exclusively on JioHotstar, he said: “Since childhood, I had only one dream — to play for India. I never even thought about playing in the IPL. I think today, people are more focused on the IPL. Of course, it’s a great platform, but I believe that if your goal is to play for your country, everything else — including the IPL — will eventually fall into place. If you have that bigger mindset, success will follow. I always believed that I would play for India one day. At 18, I got the opportunity to make my debut.”

Pant has built a reputation for fearless stroke play, but his unconventional approach in Australia’s Test series drew criticism. However, the 27-year-old credits former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for inspiring his attacking mindset.

“Earlier, quite a few players played these shots. I have seen old videos of Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni), and he, too, has played the lap shot. But percentage-wise, I think they used to do it less. The game is changing now — field placements are different, and players are adapting. Some might feel it’s necessary for their game, while others may not. At the end of the day, how you read the game determines how you play it.”

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders have landed in the City of Joy for their final pre-season camp ahead of the highly anticipated opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens on March 22. The camp, beginning on March 12 at the iconic ground, will be their last phase of preparation before the season opener.

Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings players have been training at the CSK Academy. The return of local star Ravichandran Ashwin has thrilled fans, but it was Ravindra Jadeja’s grand entry into the city on Tuesday that stole the show.

Fresh from winning the Champions Trophy — where he hit the winning runs to seal India’s victory over New Zealand with an over to spare — Jadeja’s arrival at the CSK team hotel and training camp was celebrated in style.

It wasn’t the famous sword swish this time, but CSK posted a social media clip of the all-rounder channelling the swagger of actor Allu Arjun from the movie Pushpa.

On the western coast, Hardik Pandya has joined five-time champions Mumbai Indians for pre-season training. The all-rounder was pivotal in India’s Champions Trophy success in Dubai.

However, Pandya will have to carry that form into IPL 2025 after Mumbai Indians’ disastrous last season, where they finished at the bottom of the standings with just four wins from 14 matches. The franchise shared a picture of their captain on X, captioning the post, “The GUN has arrived.”

Pandya, however, is set to miss MI’s opening match against Chennai Super Kings on March 23 due to a one-match suspension for a slow over-rate violation from last season — an IPL rule that carries penalties into the new season.

“A new season is a chance to start fresh. We have new faces in the coaching team who bring decades of high-performance experience, giving players so much information and knowledge to feed off. Pre-season is always exciting, but the intensity is paramount, and that’s what we want to establish today and take forward. It’s always going to be a tough season, but I want to ensure we prepare well when we have the time,” Mumbai Indians’ head coach Mahela Jayawardene said.

With teams fine-tuning their strategies, star players returning from international duty, and early drama already unfolding, IPL 18 is shaping up to be another thrilling season.