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Mumbai Indians (MI) newly appointed head coach Kieron Pollard spoke following his appointment, saying that there is no hiding from the fact that the franchise has had a rough run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for a while and the team needs to understand it.
He also said he wants to see the team's blue flags all over the Wankhede Stadium, instead of "reds and yellows", referring to popular franchises Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), two of MI's big rivals. MI on Saturday announced Pollard as their head coach ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2027 season, marking his elevation from batting coach and extending his long-standing association with the franchise. Notably, Pollard replaces Mahela Jayawardene as the five-time champions head coach. Speaking in his first interview after the appointment, Pollard said about his first task as a coach that he first needs to understand what needs to be done to fix the fact that MI have not won an IPL title since 2020 and have managed three bottom-table finishes, including two last-place finishes. "I think my first task is about understanding what is needed to be done. Again, and then when you get into that, bring that spirit and that energy. Talk about that. When you walk into the Wankhede Stadium, you are not seeing the yellows and the reds and stuff like that. You want to see that blue flag flying, and you want to see that passion and spirit from the fans. And that can only come firstly from us. They have to see that first. So that is where our work sort of starts in terms of understanding what we are playing for and who we are playing for," he said. Pollard also said that there is no hiding from the fact that MI have not delivered as per expectations since past few years, particularly the last two years, where they have struggled at the bottom, and now the thing to do is to "put the team above self", and when opponents come to face them, they are reminded of five-time champions' glorious past. "We recognise the fact that we have not been where we wanted to be in the last couple of years. So there is no hiding, sort of from that. But what is going to happen is that we are going to try our best now to ensure that we continue to play for that badge, put the team above self, and then ensure that when the opposition comes, it is something that they remember from the past. Yes, it is history, but sometimes in order to go forward, you have to go back a little bit and understand. And I think that is where it is going to start," he added. Pollard also said that even if results do not go his way, it is not going to affect him since he is "big on fun, entertainment and relaxation", treating a match as just another game. "Most fun part is that you are able to set the tone in any environment for the team. So that's going to be fun. Being a Caribbean sort of guy, I think that is something, that fun and entertainment and relaxation is something that I'm big on, because then you are able to perform when you are in that sort of zone. Obviously, the challenging part is going to be if results are not going your way. Nothing is going to sort of faze me. I go back to what I just said to you. It is still a game of cricket," he signed off. Pollard announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) in November back in 2022 and took up the role of batting coach for the side for IPL 2023. Ever since he signed with MI in 2010, Pollard has been one of the marquee players of the franchise, having won them many games. In 189 matches for the side, Pollard scored 3,412 runs at an average of 28.67, with 16 half-centuries. He has also took 69 wickets for the five-time champions. (ANI)
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