Kieron Pollard, the West Indies all-rounder, is back as the captain of the Mumbai Indians for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). This is a big update for the fans of the five-time champions, who had a disappointing campaign in IPL 2023 under Rohit Sharma’s leadership. Pollard, who had led the team to two titles in 2019 and 2020, was replaced by Sharma in 2021, after he opted out of the tournament due to personal reasons. However, Sharma failed to replicate Pollard’s success, as the Mumbai Indians finished sixth in the points table and missed out on the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
Pollard, who is one of the most experienced and successful players in the IPL, has played 204 matches for the Mumbai Indians since 2010, scoring 3,267 runs and taking 71 wickets. He has also won the Most Valuable Player award twice, in 2013 and 2020. He is known for his explosive batting, brilliant fielding, and clever bowling in the death overs. He is also a natural leader, who inspires his teammates with his passion and aggression.
Kieron Pollard will lead MI Cape Town at the SA20, with Rashid Khan still recovering following a back surgery. Nicholas Pooran will captain MI Emirates in the ILT20 pic.twitter.com/TjNTYe1QpV
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 7, 2024
The Mumbai Indians announced Pollard’s return as the captain on their official Twitter handle, with a video message from the star player himself. In the video, Pollard thanked the team management and the fans for their support and trust, and expressed his excitement to lead the team again. He also revealed that he had a chat with Sharma, who wished him well and assured him of his full cooperation. Pollard said that he was looking forward to working with Sharma and the rest of the squad, and hoped to bring back the glory days for the Mumbai Indians.
The Mumbai Indians also made some other changes in their squad, ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. They released some of their underperforming players, such as Ishan Kishan, Krunal Pandya, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and Trent Boult. They also traded Hardik Pandya to the Gujarat Titans, in exchange for Shubman Gill and Shivam Mavi. Gill, who was the captain of the Titans in IPL 2023, will now play under Pollard’s captaincy, along with his India teammates Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav. Mavi, who is a promising fast bowler, will add depth to the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack.
The Mumbai Indians have retained some of their key players, such as Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rahul Chahar. They also have a purse of Rs. 42.5 crore for the auction, which will be held on January 20, 2024. They will be looking to fill the gaps in their squad, especially in the middle order, the spin department, and the overseas slots. Some of the players that they might target are Glenn Maxwell, Rashid Khan, David Warner, and Moeen Ali.
The Mumbai Indians have a rich history and a loyal fan base in the IPL. They have won the title five times, in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. They have also produced some of the best players and captains in the league, such as Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga, and Kieron Pollard. They have a reputation of being a formidable and consistent team, who always bounce back from adversity. With Pollard back as the captain, they will be hoping to reclaim their lost glory and dominate the IPL 2024.
