Mumbai Indians continue to languish at the bottom of the table with just 2 wins in 11 games, becoming the first team to get knocked out of IPL 2022 playoffs.
One of the biggest reasons for this scenario they find themselves in is the poor form of their core team that includes the likes of Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard and Jasprit Bumrah.
Rohit, Ishan and Bumrah have still showed some form in odd games in this IPL. Bumrah, in fact, finished with a five-wicket haul in the game vs Kolkata Knight Riders on May 9 (Monday).
The biggest concern for them is Pollard, who at 34, and is only growing older.
T. I. M. B. E. R! __@rashidkhan_19 scalps his second wicket. _ _
Fourth success with the ball for @gujarat_titans. _ _#MI lose Kieron Pollard.
Follow the match __ https://t.co/2bqbwTHMRS #TATAIPL | #GTvMI pic.twitter.com/oodUdMysly
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 6, 2022
Pollard was hired again by MI for a sum of Rs 6 crore as he was retained as their fourth-choice player. But Pollard so far has not given any return to the team. He has chipped in with some bowling performances, picking up wicket in the middle overs, but has massively failed to shine in his primary skill which is batting.
Pollard's biggest failure has been his inability to finish off the games for MI, something which he has done consistently for Mumbai in the past seasons. There have been a number of occasions in IPL 2022 where MI pinned hope on him but he disappointed every single time.
Despite his poor show this year, MI has stuck to him. But will he survive for next year?
Pollard has scored only 144 runs in 11 games so far. But it is not the runs he has scored matter here but the strike rate which is just 107.46.
If Pollard does not deiver the goods in the matches to come, he may have to reflect on his IPL career. As at 34, if MI drop him, then he may not be able to find any other takers as has been the case with another veteran Suresh Raina.
Former head coach of the Indian cricket team Ravi Shastri feels that Pollard will continue to play for MI till the time he thinks his best is way past him.
"I think he (Pollard) will play. He has announced his retirement from international cricket. If he doesn’t play, he will go and tell the management," Shastri told Star Sports.
"He will go and tell the people concerned at MI that it’s time to give someone else a chance. But till he does that, he will play. He has got the experience, he may have finished his cricket. Mumbai Indians would like to see him go on a good note," Shastri said.
Pollard has already quit international cricket, which means he is feeling burdened by too much cricket. He was the captain of West Indies in ODIs and T20s and needed time off to focus on franchise cricket. If his luck does not change here too, he may be forced to think about retirement.
