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Indisputably the most successful franchise in the history of the tournament, Mumbai Indians will enter the 13th edition of the IPL as the defending champions and four-time winners overall.
With the IPL auctions slated to take place in December, the franchises will be looking to strengthen their squads with some exciting additions, including players who have performed well at the domestic level.
As defending champions, Mumbai Indians are not expected to make a lot of changes in their squad. However, the previous auctions have seen them acquire players that failed to live up to their billing, and perhaps it's time to do away with the languishing deadwood.
On that note, here are the 4 players Mumbai Indians should consider releasing ahead of the auction day.
#4 Barinder Sran
Barinder Sran raised plenty of eyebrows when Mumbai Indians coughed up ₹3.4 crore for him at the IPL 2019 auctions. Perhaps the avalanche of expectations was too much for his unseasoned shoulders.
Sran was far from excellent for Mumbai Indians. Across the entirety of the season he only donned the franchise colours twice, and he failed to make an impression in either of those games.
The Punjab quick went wicketless in the whole edition and leaked runs throughout, evidenced by his shocking economy rate of 12.75.
The 26-year-old was plying his trade for Chandigarh in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, but managed just six wickets in five matches. Being an Indian international, he was understandably expected to do more as Chandigarh failed to qualify for the quarterfinals.
Sran is undoubtedly surplus to requirements in a bowling department that already boasts the likes of Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jason Behrendorff and a couple others.
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#3 Siddhesh Lad
Siddhesh happens to be the son of Dinesh Lad - a well-known Mumbai-based coach who even tutored Rohit Sharma. The younger Lad has made a name for himself in the domestic circuit.
A middle-order batsman, Lad was the leading run-scorer for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, managing 652 runs in seven matches at an impressive average of 46.57. He was bought by MI in the 2018 IPL auction and finally procured a place in the starting XI against Kings XI Punjab in 2019 in the place of the injured Rohit Sharma.
The 27-year-old's IPL debut was nothing to write home about as he was dismissed for just 15.
A fiercely competitive MI batting order means the prospects aren't too bright for Lad in the upcoming season either. With Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock firmly hanging on to their opening slots and players like Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav available for selection along with a host of quality all-rounders, Lad will likely have to warm the bench for another edition should the franchise decide against releasing him.
#2 Ben Cutting
It would be hard for Mumbai Indians to justify the retention of Ben Cutting this year.
The Australian first made a mark in the IPL when he inspired Sunrisers Hyderabad to their maiden tournament title in 2016 by putting up an admirable performance in the final. However, from there onward it has been all downhill.
In 2018 Cutting was signed by Mumbai Indians, but the 32-year-old only flattered to deceive as he ended the edition with just 96 runs and 2 wickets. Even in the subsequent season he produced no wonders, scoring 18 runs in 3 matches along with a solitary scalp.
Mumbai Indians are already endowed with a plethora of top-quality all-rounders, not least the Pandya brothers and Kieron Pollard. Sherfane Rutherford has also been roped in by the side after trading Mayank Markande to Delhi Capitals. With such cut-throat competition among all-rounders in the squad, Cutting's inclusion in the starting XI seems close to impossible.
As it stands, releasing him would benefit all parties involved, not to mention that it would also open up an overseas slot for MI.
#1 Evin Lewis
The hard-hitting Evin Lewis was signed by Mumbai Indians in the 2018 Player Auction for ₹3.8 Crore. Lewis did justify his price tag in IPL 2018 as he bagged 382 runs in 13 matches, but he could not replicate the same form in the following edition.
The southpaw only made 3 appearances for the franchise and racked up a measly total of 48 runs. Perhaps one of the main reasons for the decline in his form was him being demoted to No. 3.
Lewis is a natural opener, but with Quinton de Kock coming into his own and Rohit Sharma refusing to bat down the order, the 27-year-old had to settle for less. Things are not expected to change much for Lewis in the forthcoming edition either, with the opening slot out of his hands.
In the recently-concluded CPL 2019, the southpaw proved himself to be an important cog in St Kitts & Nevis Patriots' squad and ended the tournament among the top 10 leading run-scorers. However, one should not overlook the fact that Lewis played as an opener in CPL - a position he would likely not enjoy at Mumbai Indians.
His departure from MI will not only help the team in terms of bankroll but also free up a much-needed overseas slot.
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