Veteran Mumbai Indians all-rounder Kieron Pollard was on Thursday left out of the Mumbai Indians line-up for their second meeting of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium.
Pollard has been an integral member of the Mumbai Indians middle-order ever since he joined the franchise more than a decade ago, also providing support to the bowling unit with his handy bowling skills. His ability to turn the game on its head by smashing the ball from the word go and obliterate the best of attacks when on song made him an indispensable member of the side.
The Trinidadian had been struggling both with bat and ball throughout this season, collecting just 144 runs in 11 outings at a measly average of 14.40 and a strike rate a shade above 107.46, a pale shadow of his old self.
Pollard, who has also captained the franchise in regular skipper Rohit Sharma's absence in the past, was clearly struggling at the middle during his 16-ball 15 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday in MI's last game before the showdown against CSK. The innings, might have forced the team management to look beyond the former West Indies captain.
What's more, Pollard was left out of the XI on his 35th birthday. Wishes poured in from current and former teammates alike, but the day might not quite turn out to be a joyous one for him.
Instead, the five-time champions decided to draft uncapped South African wicketkeeper-batter Tristan Stubbs, who had been added to the squad as the overseas replacement for Tymal Mills. Stubbs, who has been making headlines in the domestic scene back home and boasts of a strike rate of more than 150, made his IPL debut in the match against the four-time IPL champions as a result.
The Trinidadian had been struggling both with bat and ball throughout this season, collecting just 144 runs in 11 outings at a measly average of 14.40 and a strike rate a shade above 107.46, a pale shadow of his old self
Dhoni's tactical brilliance was on display once again as he took charge of the field positioning when Kieron Pollard walked out to bat.
A look at Kieron Pollard’s top 5 performances in the Indian Premier League (2010-2022):
The 2022 Indian Premier League, also known as IPL 15 or for sponsorship reasons, Tata IPL 2022,[2] is the fifteenth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), a professional Twenty20 cricket league established by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2007. The tournament is being played from 26 March 2022, and to be concluded with the final on 29 May 2022. The group stage of the tournament is being played entirely in the state of Maharashtra, with Mumbai and Pune hosting the matches.[3] The full schedule of the tournament was announced on 6 March 2022.[4]
The season saw the expansion of the league, with the addition of two new franchises.[5]
The ten teams are divided into two groups of five. In the group stage, each team plays 14 games: facing the other four teams in their group two times each (one home and one away game), four teams in the other group once, and the remaining team two times. The groups for the tournament were announced on 25 February 2022.[32]
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