The richest and most successful side in IPL history with five titles, Mumbai Indians remained winless in their first eight matches this season before notching up consecutive wins. Rohit Sharma’s men have just four points from 10 matches and even if they win all their remaining games, they fall short of advancing to the playoffs stage. (Follow IPL 2022 Coverage)
Bottom-placed Mumbai are already out of the reckoning but the team management will look to build a template for the next season. While skipper Rohit and Ishan Kishan clicked together last week against the Gujarat Titans, the form of veteran Kieron Pollard remains a concern for the Mumbai outfit.
Also Read | Watch: MS Dhoni’s reaction after CSK spinner Maheesh Theekshana misses easy run out with lacklustre effort
Pollard has been a vital element of Mumbai Indians over the years and he was retained ahead of the February action as well. But the West Indian has amassed just 129 runs in 10 games along with plucking just four wickets. He scored a sedate 4 off 14 balls against the Titans, and former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player Aakash Chopra feels Pollard should make way for young Dewald Brevis, who has already shown glimpses of his batting prowess.
“All of a sudden, Mumbai are looking like a good side now. But one change is imminent. Kieron Pollard should go and Dewald Brevis should come in. How many chances would you give to Pollard? He has just not been scoring runs. His bowling could be useful on this surface but you wouldn’t pick him in the team for his bowling. So I think the time has come to say tata bye-bye to Pollard,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel.
The cricketer-turned-commentator further praised Mumbai for notching up two wins to cap off their hugely disappointing campaigns on a positive note. But they can only muster a maximum of 12 points, which will not be enough to get into the top four.
“Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma found some form in the last game. You can expect them to score runs. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma have been very good right through the tournament while Tim David has come in and hit those big sixes. With Jasprit Bumrah, Daniel Sams and Riley Meredith, the bowling is also looking good.
“MI are looking very sorted at this point. It didn’t look like that earlier in the tournament,” Chopra further added.
Trending Topics to Follow
