Pollard announces retirement, appointed as batting coach of MI

Mumbai Indians star Kieron Pollard announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League after Mumbai Indians released him from the squad. The 35-year-old has been a mainstay for the Mumbai franchise, playing with them for the past 12 years and winning 5 IPL trophies with them.

Showing his loyalty to the Mumbai franchise, Pollard will not be entering the auction and will be taking the role of batting coach for Mumbai Indians.

The 35-year-old did not have a great season with the franchise last time around, he played 11 matches and managed to score just 134 runs at an average of 14 and strike rate of 107, which to his standards could be easily considered below-par.

Kieron Pollard IPL stats

Is it the right call to make Kieron Pollard the coach of the Mumbai Indians?

Firstly, Pollard is the most experienced T20 player in the world, playing 614 matches for 18 franchises in the span of 16 years. The West Indian all-rounder has gained experience playing T20 leagues all around the world, sharing the dressing room with many players and getting familiar with foreign conditions. 

Kieron Pollard's stats in T20 Cricket

Records held by Kieron Pollard

• Pollard is MI's second-highest run-getter across all tournaments, scoring 3,915 runs in 219 matches.
• Most number of sixes by a MI player (258)
• Third-most catches by a non-wicketkeeper (103)
• Most capped player for MI (211)
• He has the second highest strike-rate for a MI player (147.32)
   

The 6"4 brute single-handedly wins matches for his team. Pollard can contribute in all aspects of the game, whether it's with the bat, ball, or in the field. 

With his talent and game sense, Pollard has won 15 titles in T20 cricket which includes 5 IPL titles, 2 CLT20 titles, 4 CPL titles, 1 BPL title, 1 T20 World Cup, and the Stanford T20 Cup.

Being one of the most prolific players in T20 cricket and having many records under his belt, Pollard will be looking to pass on his knowledge and experience to the youngsters in Mumbai Indians. So it is safe to say that it is the right call to make Kieron Pollard the batting coach of Mumbai Indians.

Subscribe to Sportco for more content.