Kieron Pollard blasted a magnificent 87 off 34 balls to give Mumbai Indians an epic win against Chennai Super Kings.
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The 27th match of IPL 2021 saw close to 440 runs being scored. Chennai Super Kings blasted 218/4 with Ambati Rayudu hammering 72 off 27 balls combined with fifties from Moeen Ali and Faf du Plessis. However, Kieron Pollard played a knock for the ages when he smashed 87 off 34 balls to help Mumbai Indians register their highest successful chase in the IPL. The four-wicket win was Mumbai Indians’ 10th in 13 encounters against Chennai Super Kings.
When Kieron Pollard came into bat, Mumbai Indians needed 125 off 48 balls. However, in the space of four overs, he blasted 75 runs and clobbered a fifty off just 17 balls which was the fastest in IPL 2021. In the post-match press conference, Pollard revealed the strategy that he employed in turning the match around completely.
“We had a small conversation during the innings break. We knew the pitch was good. If we had the base, we had the armory in the tank to go all the way. If we stayed in there, we knew we could not win in the first six overs. The way Rohit and Quinton played in the power play was good. It was the small margins that we wanted to win,” Pollard said.
The asking rate was close to 15 when Pollard walked in. But, in the past, the West Indies all-rounder has often turned the games around in this manner. When asked whether the scoreboard pressure made him plan the assault, he had a definitive answer.
“Of course, I have an equation is on the board. The required run-rate is on the board. You have to pick bowlers who are comfortable to hit. There are good bowlers who you can maneuver. You have to stay calm. You practice these situations and scenarios. It is a question of executing it in the match,” Pollard said.
Ever since 2013, Pollard has regularly hurt Chennai Super Kings at crucial times in the tournament. Be it the finals of 2013, 2015 and 2019, Pollard has played a crucial role. When asked about why he reserves his best for Chennai Super Kings, he replied, “There are world-class players in the CSK team. It is the El Clasico of IPL. MS Dhoni, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo and Suresh Raina are match-winners. You want to perform on regular instances. I would love to play to my strengths.”
