IPL 2019: 3 reasons behind Mumbai Indians' lackluster start to the tournament

#3 Not playing Ishan Kishan and Ben Cutting

Ishan Kishan is yet to feature for Mumbai Indians this season (picture courtesy-BCCI/iplt20.com)

Some of Mumbai Indians team selection has been surprising, to say the least. The omission of Ishan Kishan is one decision that no one expected. The Jharkhand wicket-keeper was purchased for a massive ₹6.2 crore in last year's auction by the franchise.

He is someone they have not only invested a lot of money in but also showed a lot of faith, despite some inconsistent performances. Ultimately, he had a modest season and scored 275 runs in 14 matches at an incredible strike rate of 149.45.

The 20-year old was always seen as a long-term investment and experts felt that 2019 will be the year for the youngster. Kishan came into the IPL with a string of impressive performances having scored 333 runs in eight matches at an average of 55.50 and a strike rate of 151.36 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy.

However, the former India U-19 captain is yet to play a match in IPL 2019. With Kishan's ability to play at a high scoring rate, he is someone that will strengthen the team by batting at number three or four.

Another surprising exclusion is that of Ben Cutting. The Queenslander was dropped after the first game and was not selected for the games against Royal Challenger's Banglore and Kings XI Punjab. His non-selection is really surprising, seeing the quality he can bring into the team and his recent form.

Playing for the Brisbane Heat, Cutting scored 249 runs at a strike rate of 153.70 in 14 matches. He also took 12 wickets through the course of the season. With Kieron Pollard struggling with the bat and not bowling at all, Cutting will surely add more value to the team than him.

His ability to clear the boundary at ease will reduce the pressure on Hardik Pandya to finish the innings. He was the man of the match in 2016 final for Sunrisers Hyderabad and is a proven performer in T20 cricket.

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