Kieron Pollard, the batting coach for the Mumbai Indians, expressed his support for Hardik Pandya, who has been facing criticism lately. This comes after the Mumbai Indians lost their fourth match of the IPL 2024 last night with Pandya as captain.
The Mumbai Indians, five-time champions of the IPL, are facing a tough season in 2024. Out of six matches played, they’ve only managed to secure two wins, leaving them with four losses. One of the most significant changes this season was appointing Hardik Pandya as captain, replacing Rohit Sharma.
Hardik Pandya has been under a lot of criticism for almost everything he does on the field – bowling, batting, leading the team – mainly because many fans still believe Rohit Sharma should be leading the Mumbai Indians. His recent performance, especially leaking 26 runs in the last over against Chennai Super Kings, where MS Dhoni hit him for three consecutive sixes, intensified the scrutiny on him.
In the recent match against Chennai Super Kings, where Mumbai Indians suffered their fourth loss of the season, many pointed fingers at Hardik Pandya for his below-par performance with both bat and ball.
However, Kieron Pollard, the batting coach of Mumbai Indians and a former Windies all-rounder, holds a different view. He expressed his frustration with the constant criticism aimed at Pandya’s performance, stating that the MI skipper is doing his utmost to lead the team to victory.
“I don’t know if it will affect his confidence. He is a confident guy, he has been great around the group In cricket, you have good days and bad days and I am seeing an individual who is working bloody hard to improve his skills and plying his trade,” Pollard said after the match as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“I am sick and fed up looking to pinpoint individuals; cricket is a team game at the end of the day. This is an individual that is going to represent the country in less than six weeks’ time, and you all are going to cheer him and want him to do well when the time comes. So high time we try to encourage and stop nitpicking and see if we can get the best out of one of the great allrounders India has produced. He can bat, bowl and field, and has a X-factor about him. I hope very well deep down within my heart that when he comes out on top, I’ll sit back and watch everyone sing his praises.” – Pollard further added.
Pollard has witnessed Hardik’s ascent since his days with MI. Initially known for his destructive batting, Hardik could effortlessly unleash powerful hits. However, his batting prowess seems to have waned in recent years.
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