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Predicting the full list of players Mumbai Indians might retain and release before IPL 2021

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Mumbai Indians 2020
Photo: Mumbai Indians/Twitter

The Mumbai Indians became the second franchise in IPL history to win two IPL titles back-to-back in 2020. They had won their fourth championship in 2019 and Rohit Sharma’s men continued their fine form in 2020 to add another trophy to their cabinet. This victory made the Mumbai Indians the first franchise to win the IPL trophy five times.

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None of the other teams have won even four titles. The Mumbai Indians had the best team combination in IPL 2020. Despite missing Lasith Malinga’s services and having a relatively weaker spin attack, the Mumbai-based franchise trounced all other teams to lift the trophy. Almost every player performed well for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020.

They could not include Chris Lynn in their playing XI for even one match, which shows how consistent they were in the tournament. Ahead of IPL 2021, the Mumbai Indians will be the most-relieved team because they do not have to make the tough decision of retaining only three players this year. They can even retain the entire squad for the 2021 season.

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Rohit Sharma led the side from the front with 332 runs in 12 matches of IPL 2020, while Kieron Pollard brought his ‘A’ game to the table, scoring 268 runs and taking four wickets in IPL 2020. Hardik Pandya did not bowl a single ball but still made a massive impact with his batting performances. The trio of Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ishan Kishan played a vital role in the Mumbai Indians’ success.

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Suryakumar Yadav
Photo: Suryakumar Yadav/Instagram

Trent Boult formed a fantastic combination with Jasprit Bumrah and James Pattinson as the trio wreaked havoc in IPL 2020. Since Lasith Malinga will likely play in IPL 2021, the Mumbai Indians might have to release Pattinson. However, the franchise could take the decision to exclude Nathan Coulter Nile from the squad because of his higher salary. Also, Coulter-Nile is injury-prone and took only five wickets in seven matches of IPL 2020.

Many uncapped players did not get a game for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020. However, releasing them so soon would be a harsh decision. They can be decent back-up options if any main player gets injured. Hence, the Indian uncapped players who were at the Mumbai Indians will probably continue to play for the same franchise in IPL 2020.

Apart from Chris Lynn, Mitchell McClenaghan and Sherfane Rutherford were the overseas stars who warmed the benches for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020. It is unlikely that the Mumbai Indians will release McClenaghan because he has been a match-winner for them. Also, he is a great back-up option for Trent Boult. Similarly, Sherfane Rutherford could be the back-up for Kieron Pollard if the Caribbean all-rounder is unavailable due to some reason.

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Hence, the Mumbai Indians will likely release one player before the IPL Auction 2021 and that could be either James Pattinson or Nathan Coulter Nile.

Players MI might retain: Rohit Sharma, Digvijay Deshmukh, Quinton de Kock, Aditya Tare, Jasprit Bumrah, Saurabh Tiwary, Dhawal Kulkarni, James Pattinson, Trent Boult, Jayant Yadav, Rahul Chahar, Suryakumar Yadav, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Chris Lynn, Hardik Pandya, Sherfane Rutherford, Anmolpreet Singh, Mohsin Khan, Mitchell McClenaghan, Prince Balvant Rai Singh, Anukul Roy, Ishan Kishan, Lasith Malinga.

Player MI might release: Nathan Coulter-Nile.