MI released players: 12 players released by the franchise ahead of IPL 2020 Auction

Mumbai Indians (MI) are Indian Premier League’s (IPL) most successful side. The 4-time IPL champions took some bold calls when they released some of their stars ahead of the IPL 2020 Auction. While the usual suspects were retained, MI let go of T20 specialists like Ben Cutting, Evin Lewis and Jason Behrendorff. Here, let’s take a look at the players released by the Mumbai Indians and their stint at the club.

Also Read: IPL 2020: Complete List Of Players Retained, Released, Purse, And Slots Left

IPL 2020 Auction: MI Released Players

1. Mayank Markande

Mayank Markande was traded to the Delhi Capitals (DC) in return for young West Indian all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford. Markande was a fringe player for the franchise last season with MI preferring Rahul Chahar over him. He played 3 games in IPL 2019, picking up only a solitary wicket and conceding runs at an alarming 9.83 runs per over. Markande had a brilliant debut season in 2018, where he played all 14 games, picking up 15 wickets. Markande will play for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2020 after the Capitals traded him and Rahul Tewatia for Ajinkya Rahane.

2. Siddhesh Lad

Siddhesh Lad was traded to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the IPL 2020 auction. Lad has been at the franchise for four years but has only played one game for MI in his stint at the club. Lad was drafted as a replacement for Rohit Sharma and scored 15 in the match. Lad is the son of coach Dinesh Lad who coached Mumbai Indians' captain Rohit Sharma.

3. Evin Lewis

Evin Lewis is a T20 superstar. A swashbuckling opener, Evin Lewis saw his stocks reduce in the MI camp after South African wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock was snapped up by the franchise last season. With De Kock having a fantastic season last time round, chances would be slim for Lewis to ply his trade and MI decided to part ways with him. Lewis scored 382 runs in 13 matches in IPL 2018. He struggled in IPL 2019, scoring 48 runs in 3 games at a disappointing strike rate of 92.30.

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4. Ben Cutting

Ben Cutting singlehandedly turned the 2016 IPL final on its head with a breezy cameo for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Since then, it’s not been a happy ride for the Australian all-rounder. Cutting moved to MI ahead of IPL 2018, but game time has been hard to come by. Cutting has failed to impress in the limited opportunities he’s received, scoring a paltry 114 runs in 12 matches across 2 seasons. His form with the ball has also tapered, picking up only 3 scalps with an economy rate of over 10.

5. Jason Behrendorff

The release is a bit hard on the Australian left-arm pacer Jason Behrendorff considering that he did well in the limited opportunities he got. Having picked up by the Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2019, Behrendorff played 5 games, picking up 5 wickets at an economy of 8.68. With Mumbai Indians’ acquisition of Trent Boult, the franchise decided to let go of Behrendorff ahead of the IPL 2020 Auction.

6. Adam Milne

The New Zealand fast bowler was snapped up by the Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2018 IPL season. Successive injuries and better availability of options meant that Milne never played an IPL game for the Mumbai Indians. He was replaced by Alzarri Joseph last year after suffering a heel injury.

7. Alzarri Joseph

Probably the most shocking release from MI. Alzarri Joseph was drafted in as a replacement for Milne and instantly struck gold, picking up the best figures by a bowler in IPL history. Joseph had a disappointing outing in the next game and then injured himself. He made way for Beuran Hendricks.

8. Beuran Hendricks

South African pacer Beuran Hendricks was drafted in as a replacement for Alzarri Joseph after the pacer was injured midway through IPL 2019. Hendricks did not feature in a single game for the franchise and was released ahead of the IPL 2020 Auction. The pacer previously had a small stint with Kings XI Punjab as well.

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9. Rasikh Salam

Rasikh Salam made waves for his ability to bowl fast and was subsequently snapped up by the Mumbai Indians. He played one game and conceded 42 in his quota of overs. He also failed to pick up a wicket. Salam is currently banned by the BCCI for 2 years due to a discrepancy in his birth certificate.

10. Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh was picked up by the Mumbai Indians late in the IPL auction ahead of the 2019 season. Yuvi started well with a 50 but his form dipped soon after. Yuvraj has obtained a NOC from the BCCI, making him ineligible to feature in IPL.

11. Barinder Sran

Barinder Sran was drafted into the Mumbai Indians squad in the IPL Auction ahead of the 2019 season. The left-arm pacer played 2 games and went wicketless. He also had a disappointing economy rate of 12.75. Sran was offloaded considering the prospect of much better options available in the IPL 2020 Auction.

12. Pankaj Jaiswal

Pankaj Jaiswal was picked up by MI last year. A hard-hitting all-rounder from Himachal Pradesh, Jaiswal never featured for Mumbai Indians in a game and was subsequently released ahead of IPL 2020 Auction. He would hope to find a home for his talents elsewhere.

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