IPL 2020: 3 players Mumbai Indians might release ahead of the auction

It is often said that half of the Indian Premier League battle is won and lost at the auction. The 2020 auction is scheduled to be held in Kolkata on 19 December, and all the teams are busy doing their analysis over which players they should retain and which they should let go of.

The defending champions Mumbai Indians will aim to be at their best for the IPL 2020 auctions. But before that, they would hope to do their homework well and identify the players to be released based on their performance in the previous edition of the league.

The Rohit Sharma-led side won their fourth IPL title in 2019 and have most of their bases covered. However, the team management would look to get rid of certain players in order to free up space in the squad for auction day.

Here is a look at 3 Mumbai Indians players who might be released before the auction:

1. Evin Lewis

Evin Lewis

Evin Lewis hasn't delivered the goods consistently for the Mumbai Indians. The southpaw batsman could only manage 48 runs in three matches during the previous season, at a poor average of 16.

The left-hander did score 342 runs in 13 matches during IPL 2018, but he could not repeat the same magic in the 2019 edition.

With Quinton de Kock hitting his straps with 529 runs (highest for Mumbai Indians in the last season) in 16 matches and skipper Rohit Sharma (405 runs in 15 matches) also opening the innings, Lewis' place in the side looks in jeopardy.

Furthermore, the West Indies batsman's current form is nothing to write home about. Lewis, who likes to hit the ground running, scored just 265 runs in 10 matches during the Caribbean Premier League 2019.

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2. Ben Cutting

Ben Cutting

It is going to be difficult for Ben Cutting to stay with Mumbai Indians. The Australian all-rounder had a quiet IPL 2019 as he could manage just 18 runs in the three innings he played. Moreover, the right-arm seamer could only scalp a solitary wicket in the same number of innings.

However, it is not just Cutting's sub-par IPL performances that could lead to his departure from Mumbai Indians. The combination in the squad also works against him.

The defending champions already have all-rounders like Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya in their ranks. In other words, it is always going to be difficult for Cutting to make the cut into the final XI on a regular basis.

The Australian has the skills to turn any match on its head with either bat or ball. But he might not be retained by the reigning champions for IPL 2020.

3. Barinder Sran

Barinder Sran

The left-arm seamer Barinder Sran might not in the plans of the Mumbai Indians think-tank for the upcoming season. The southpaw pacer went wicketless in the two matches he played for the franchise in IPL 2019. That will make it difficult for Sran to get a place in the side come 2020.

With the Mumbai Indians pace battery flooded with the world-class bowlers like Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell McClenaghan, Alzarri Joseph and Jason Behrendorff, the Punjab bowler seems surplus to the requirements.

Sran has picked up six wickets in five matches for Chandigarh in the ongoing Vijay Hazare trophy, which is decent but not extraordinary. That makes it unlikely for Mumbai Indians to continue putting faith in him.