IPL 2019: Mumbai Indians retain 18 core players, release Mustafizur Rahman, JP Duminy

Three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians on Thursday retained 18 players including captain Rohit Sharma but let go some top international stars including South African JP Duminy and fast bowling pair of Australian Pat Cummins and Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman.

The Mumbai-based side also released 10 players which include one capped, five uncapped, and four international players. All-rounder Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande, Aditya Tare, Ishan Kisan, Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy, and Suryakumar Yadav have been retained by the three-time champions.

To maintain the mix of experience and youth, the franchise has retained Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, destructive opener Evin Lewis and Kiwi pair of Mitchell McClenaghan and Adam Milne. The management also backed Australia's T20 specialist Jason Behrendorff after the left-arm quick was recalled to the national side to face the Proteas.

Other players released by the team include Sri Lankan spinner Akila Dananjaya, India's Saurabh Tiwary, Pradeep Sangwan, Sharad Lumba, and Tajinder Singh Dhillon. UP pacer Mohsin Khan and Kerala's MD Nidheesh also find themselves in the released players' list.

List of players retained by Mumbai Indian include Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya, Ishan Kishan (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Mayank Markande, Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy, Siddhesh Lad, Aditya Tare, Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Jason Behrendorff.

Mumbai Indians is one of the two most successful sides in the tournament's history having won the title three times each in - 2013, 2015, and 2017.

-ANI