Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard remains optimistic about the team’s potential to rebound in the current season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). After suffering a defeat while trying to defend a score of 243 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Wankhede Stadium—marking their sixth loss in eight matches—MI finds themselves positioned ninth in the standings. They now face a critical situation where winning is imperative to advance to the playoffs.
Pollard emphasized that the team has not conceded defeat despite the challenging circumstances. “When I said defeat, I didn’t want the headlines to read that Mumbai Indians have been defeated, because mathematically and from a points perspective, we are still very much in the tournament,” Pollard stated during the post-match press conference. He acknowledged the recent losses but maintained that the team’s spirit remains intact, expressing hope for a turnaround: “We are still looking to go back and see what we can do and how far we can go in this tournament.”
Pollard also noted, “We haven’t been good enough collectively,” reflecting on the team’s performance this season. MI attempted their fifth different opening combination in the match, with Will Jacks partnering Ryan Rickelton successfully, helping to set a formidable score. However, their bowling lineup struggled under pressure, failing to defend the total. Pollard pointed out the team’s inconsistency across all departments: “We haven’t been able to string a complete game of cricket together as a team. It has not been as consistent as we would have hoped. The results are showing.”
He continued, “We just need to be collectively better as a unit. That is as much as you can ask. You can ask them to execute better in different areas of the game. But we need to play that complete game of cricket to win a match. It is getting difficult with the way cricket is doing, but in the dressing room, the guys are wanting to fight,” Pollard concluded.
