Kieron Pollard was a true game-changer for the Mumbai Indians throughout his long and impressive IPL career that lasted more than ten years. One of the most talked-about moments happened during the 2019 season when the team was up against Kings XI Punjab, now known as Punjab Kings. They had to chase down a tough target of 198 runs at their home stadium, and things didn’t start well at all. The top order, which included big names like Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav, couldn’t get things going, leaving the team in a rough spot.
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Pollard, who stepped in as captain for that match, came into bat after Suryakumar was out. With wickets falling around him, he really stepped up to the plate that day. He delivered an incredible 83 runs, bringing Mumbai closer to victory. It all came down to the wire, and Alzarri Joseph hit the winning runs on the final ball, securing the game for Mumbai by three wickets.
In his first match as captain, Pollard won the toss and chose to have Punjab bat first. KL Rahul and Chris Gayle opened for Punjab and put together a solid partnership, scoring 116 runs. Gayle had a fantastic innings, blasting 63 runs off just 36 balls, while Rahul made a hundred in 64 deliveries, hitting six fours and six sixes. However, after both of them got out, no other Punjab player could even reach double figures. They finished their innings at 197 runs, losing four wickets in the process. For Mumbai, Hardik Pandya took two wickets, and both Jason Behrendorff and Jasprit Bumrah claimed one wicket each.
At one point during the chase, Mumbai was in a tough spot at 3 for 62, having lost their first three batsmen. Quinton de Kock scored 24 runs, Siddhesh Lad added 15, and Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with 21 before getting out. Ishan Kishan didn’t last long either and was run out for just 7 runs. Pollard, seeing the situation, stepped up dramatically, hitting 18 runs off one over from Sam Curran. That over really reignited the team’s hopes.
The next batsmen, Hardik and Krunal Pandya, soon fell to Mohammed Shami, putting more pressure on Pollard, who was now almost on his own. He went on to smash 10 sixes and three fours in just 31 balls—a stunning display that kept the match alive for Mumbai. Unfortunately, Pollard got out in the last over when they were just four runs shy of the win. But Alzarri Joseph and Rahul Chahar managed to finish the job, taking singles and doubles as they crossed the finish line. It was a wild match, with Pollard’s performance being the standout highlight, proving once again why he was such a vital player for Mumbai Indians.
