In MLC 2024, Mumbai Indians New York’s Captain Kieron Pollard set an example when he went against the Los Angeles Knight Riders. Monday, July 22, witnessed the 19th match of the tournament at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. Pollard put in his best performance with the bat and the ball to win the match. His great all-rounder performance meant that his team claimed a crucial win to qualify for the playoffs of the second edition of the MLC.
When the game was in the last over or when the Mumbai Indians New York team was under tremendous pressure to lose the match, their captain, Kieron Pollard, decided to bowl instead of his best bowler, Binish Arif, against the unstoppable Andre Russell. In this context, the stakes were high, and Pollard’s initiative, leadership, and decisive abilities were tested.
The Fielding Performance of Pollard When he has the ball
The first ball of the last over, normally a short ball targeting the middle stump, was brought forth by Pollard. In the pull shot, Russell was a goner, which is quite a common incident in this situation. The ball got stuck to the splice of the bat and squirted up.
Keeper Nicholas Pooran made a brilliant move, and a quick rush to his left to effect the dismissal of Russell made Mumbai Indians New York seemingly gain dominance. Pollard was lively after taking Russell’s wicket, and particularly the gestures that he made were noticed by fans and went viral. The enthusiastic reaction that he displayed, showed appreciation for the moment as well as the level of competition.
After the balling, when that was the turn for the batting, Mumbai Indian New York’s captain, Pollard, took the game to the opposition’s bowlers with a fine show with the bat. Set a target of 131 runs in 18 overs. At the end of the 2 overs, Mumbai Indians New York were in deep trouble, being 91/5. That is when Pollard came to the forefront and played what can be described as a captain’s innings to lead his team to victory.
Pollard’s knock of unbeaten twenty-three off only twelve balls was outrageous. He bowled a few good overs with an economy rate of 7, apart from scoring a stunning 275-run rate with 2 fours and 3 sixes. His aggressive and calculated approach ensured that Mumbai Indians New York chased down the target under 20 overs, securing their spot in the playoffs.
Post-Match Reflections
After the match, Pollard came out of relief and, at the same time, pride as he thanked his team. He stressed the importance of the spirit of the team in achieving victory. Speaking at the post-match presentation, he said:
I am extremely relieved; the team deserves all the credit for this win. We fought hard in the field, and everyone was useful with their performance. Regarding the history of how we have batted, the total of 130 was well beyond a realistic target, but we still got another go, and the attitude everyone showcased was good.
Take Pollard; he was also asked for his views on why he had to bowl the last over, and his thought processes were appreciated. He acknowledged the potential risks but highlighted how his experience and instincts paid off. The captain said:
It was a plan that worked out in the end (on bowling the 20th over); I could have gone for 20, and they could have gotten a pass of 150. I could have gone for the young guy (Rushil Ugarkar), but it was one of those days when we got what we wanted.
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