IPL 2019: Five players who can replace Lasith Malinga for Mumbai Indians

Less than 24 hours remain before the first match of IPL 2019 gets underway. CSK will take on RCB in the opening match of the tournament. This IPL has been largely affected by the upcoming ICC World Cup. Many players will not play the latter half of the tournament in order to manage their workload and remain fit for the World Cup.

Many players have also pulled out of the tournament due to injuries. The biggest sufferer of the same is Kolkata Knight Riders, who have lost 3 of their key pacers in the form of Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi and Anrich Nortje. CSK lost Lungi Ngidi, who had picked up 11 wickets for them in just 7 matches in IPL 2018. After these 2 teams, Mumbai Indians also suffered 2 major setbacks just before the first match of the IPL.

Lasith Malinga and Adam Milne, the two key pacers of the Mumbai team are set to miss the matches. While the former has decided to skip at least 6 matches to prepare for the World Cup, the latter has pulled out o the whole tournament due to the swollen heel. Malinga has also advised the team to find a replacement for him.

Therefore MI needs to find a quick replacement for this Sri Lankan pacer, they have a match on 24th March. The player they bring in their squad should have a base price of no more than ₹2 crore, as he was bought at the same price. Let us take a look at some of the players who can replace him.

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#5 James Faulkner

James Faulkner

James Faulkner was unsold in IPL 2018. His name did not even come up in 2019. He had a base price of ₹2 crore and he can be the best bowling allrounder to replace Lasith Malinga. Faulkner has enjoyed a good record in IPL. He so far has fetched 59 wickets from 60 matches.

As he is not in Australia's scheme of things for the World Cup, he would be available for the whole season. Therefore, he can be the perfect replacement for Malinga.

#4 Jyhe Richardson

Jhye Richardson

The Australian pacer has enjoyed a fabulous success in cricket over the past few months. Jhye Richardson recently had 14 wickets in the 6 matches that he played against India at home and while touring He was a big thorn in Virat Kohli's flesh. He got him out 4 times in those 6 matches and prevented him from scoring big runs.

Unfortunately for him, those performances came after the auctions were over where he got unsold. He had a base price of ₹50 lakh, but these astonishing performances came in 2019, almost 15 days after the auction.

With Malinga set to miss matches, it might not be a surprise if MI bring him in as a replacement. He is a reliable bowler in the powerplay as well as death overs. He can constantly trouble the batsmen with his variations, most notably the back of the hand slower ones, the weapon that he used against India.

#3 Matt Henry

Matt Henry

Matt Henry also went unsold in IPL 2018 auctions and his name did not come in this year's auction. He had a base price of ₹75 lakh. He has been in a good form in international cricket, having taken 4 wickets in 2 matches in the recent series against India and 3 wickets against Bangladesh.

His case was the same as Jhye Richardson. All his good performances came after he went unrecognized the IPL auctions. Henry has not enjoyed much success in IPL. He has only 4 wickets in the 5 matches that he has played in the span of 2 seasons. However, that is a thing of past. He has improved a lot since then.

His recent form has been good. He earned 2 five wickets haul in 2 consecutive first-class matches that he recently played for Canterbury. Seeing his form, MI might be keen to ring him as a replacement.

#2 Vernon Philander

Vernon Philander certainly deserves an IPL contract

Vernon Philander is probably the best allrounder who did not get an IPL contract this time. He had a base price of ₹50 lakh, but his name did not come up in the auction even once.

The South African allrounder stands 4th in the list of highest ranked Test bowlers and 5th in the best all-rounders. He certainly deserves an IPL contract but has failed to get the same. Another reason for he being a good choice is that he does not play ODIs and T20Is and thus will be available for the whole season.

Although he is not a quick batsman, he can certainly destroy the opposition with his bowling. He can be used as a batsman as well if required. Although he hasn't played any edition of IPL, MI will be keen to bring him as a replacement.

#1 Sheldon Cotrell

Sheldon Cotrell

Sheldon Cotrell's name did not come in IPL 2019 auctions, where he had a base price of Rs 50 lakhs. He can be a very good option for MI, as he is a left arm pacer. The best part of bringing him as a replacement could be that he has not sealed a World Cup spot yet and thus he will be eager to perform. His determination could prove to be vital for MI.

Cotrell has enjoyed a good form in international cricket. He took 8 wickets in 3 T20I matches against England. He also had 7 wickets in 3 matches in the preceding ODI series. He has never played any IPL season, and thus he can be an X-factor.

This is because players won't have a practical knowledge of his deliveries, and we have seen in the past that these players often play a key role for their teams. Thus MI will be keen to bring him as a replacement