Kieron Pollard has reportedly decided to end his IPL career and has signed a contract to join the Mumbai Indians coaching staff, according to reports. Pollard will serve as Mumbai’s batting coach after spending 13 seasons and five IPL championships with the team.
The 35-year-old West Indies all-rounder has no imminent plans to stop playing cricket, but Mumbai wants to move on and cultivate a new generation of talent, making him unnecessary.
Kieron Pollard’s IPL Career
In the IPL, only a select few players have played in 100 or more games for a single franchise. After participating in 189 IPL games with the Mumbai Indians, Kieron Pollard ranks second on the list of players who have made the most appearances for a single team. In the IPL, Pollard scored 3,412 runs for Mumbai, hitting 223 sixes and 16 half-centuries. With a career IPL strike rate of 147.32 and 69 wickets taken with the ball, he retires.
Pollard not only helped MI win five IPL championships but also two Champions League championships between 2011 and 2013. He will take up Robin Singh’s position as a batting coach at MI. By playing for MI Emirates in the upcoming International League T20, which will be held in the UAE in January, Pollard will further cement his connection to the Mumbai Indians’ international reputation.
The other IPL players who have played for a single franchise are Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, Sunil Narine, and Virat Kohli. The most successful IPL franchise required a change of course after MI finished last earlier this year. Pollard had an average season as well, scoring 144 runs in 11 games.
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