IPL 2019: Mumbai Indians' Adam Milne pulls out of the tournament

Mumbai Indians have suffered yet another setback in their pace bowling department as their Kiwi recruit Adam Milne has pulled out of the upcoming season. The setback comes at the back of Lasith Malinga making himself unavailable for at least the first six games of the season that gets underway on Saturday (March 23). Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, will open their campaign against Delhi Capitals on Sunday.

The three-time winners will be keen to start the season on a good note after their dismal campaign last year. They had made a slow start last year and had won just two of their opening seven games. They had won four games in the second half but it made little difference as they failed to make it to the playoffs and eventually finished fifth. And it looks like they will struggle to start brightly this year too after losing two of their key pacers in Malinga and Milne.

According to a report in ESPN Cricinfo, Milne has decided to give the IPL a miss due to a swollen heel. The right-arm pacer from New Zealand was signed by Mumbai Indians at the IPL auction for INR 75 lakhs. Known for his fast deliveries, Milne does not have a very good track record in IPL, having played just five games for Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, his appearance came in 2017.

Malinga, on the other hand, had pulled out of the competition for at least six MI games in order to play the domestic 50-over competition. The Sri Lankan selectors have made it mandatory for the players to play the tournament in order to be considered for selection in the World Cup squad. The veteran pacer is the leading wicket-taker in the history of the IPL and would have played a key role for the Mumbai-based franchise.

Mumbai eye replacement:

With their pace attack now weakened, Mumbai Indians are believed to be keen on bringing in West Indies speedster Alazarri Joseph as a replacement. Joseph is yet to make his IPL debut. Mumbai, meanwhile, have only three overseas fast bowlers in their squad –  Mitchell McClenaghan, Jason Behrendorff and Ben Cutting. From India, Jasprit Bumrah, Barinder Sran, and allrounder Hardik Pandya are the pacers in the squad.

Watch: Mumbai Indians Full Squad for IPL 2019

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