5 matches that made Kieron Pollard a Mumbai Indians legend

Mumbai Indians (MI) all-rounder Kieron Pollard recently announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL).

With the team choosing to release him, the 35-year-old announced that he will be retiring from the cash-rich tournament. However, he will still be a part of the franchise, staying with the Mumbai Indians in the capacity of a batting coach. He will also continue to play for MI Emirates in the ILT20 in the UAE.

In his 13-year association with MI, the West Indian won five IPL titles. He made 189 appearances in the tournament, winning the Player of the Match award on 14 occasions. He has scored 3412 runs at a strike rate of 147.32 and also bagged 69 wickets over the course of his illustrious career in the league.

Having joined the franchise in 2010, Pollard remained a one-team man throughout, serving the Mumbai Indians loyally in his time as a player. Throughout his association with the team, the Trindidadian was a fan favorite and gave the team his heart and soul.

He has well and truly etched his name in the upper echelons of Mumbai Indians legends.

There are more than a few matches that made Kieron Pollard an all-time great, but here, we take a look back at five matches that made the all-rounder an MI legend.

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#1 MI vs CSK, IPL 2013 Final

The biggest players take center stage and steal the spotlight when there are championships and titles on the line. They are the kind of players who embrace the big stage and carve themselves apart as legends.

Kieron Pollard, the Mumbai Indians legend, did just that.

In the IPL 2013 final against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai found themselves in a spot of bother. They were 52/4 in the 10th over when the big West Indian walked in to bat.

The powerful all-rounder initially took a bit of time before launching a calculated assault in the last five overs. In an incredible unbeaten knock of 60 off 32 balls, Pollard smashed seven fours and three sixes to propel his side to a respectable total of 148/5.

He also chipped in with figues of 1/34 in the second innings to lift the Player of the Match award and help the Mumbai Indians lift their first IPL title. If he hadn't gone onto achieve the bigger and better things he did, this game alone would be enough to justify Kieron Pollard's cult status as a Mumbai legend.

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#2 MI vs SRH, IPL 2013

Chasing a total of 178 at the Wankhede Stadium against the SunRisers Hyderabad, the Mumbai Indians were in a precaruous position. They needed 80 off 40 balls with seven wickets in hand when Kieron Pollard walked into bat.

Batting alongside Rohit Sharma, the pair managed to bring the equation down to 62 runs to win in four overs.

The all-rounder flicked a switch at that stage, dismantling Thisara Perera for 29 runs in the 17th over. He then unleashed three sixes against Amit Mishra in the next over. Having been on nine off 10 at one stage, Pollard ended the innings on 66 off 27 balls, helping Mumbai over the line with three balls to spare.

He hit two fours and four sixes in his blazing knock, regarded as one of the most brutal performances in IPL history so far.

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#3 MI vs CSK, IPL 2021

Kieron Pollard relished playing against the Chennai Super Kings more than any other opponent in the tournament.Whenever the two heavyweights clashed, there would be a sense of inevitability around the big West Indian coming up with the goods for his side.

He did the same in 2021 too, helping the Mumbai Indians chase down a mammoth total of 219. Pollard walked in with his side at 81/3 in the 10th over with 119 runs to win in the last eight overs.

The Trindidadian unleashed on Ravindra Jadeja to bag 20 runs off that 13th over, before going on to notch his half-century in only 17 balls. By doing so, he recorded the joint-fastest fifty score in franchise history.

The big man eventually took the five-time champions over the line off the final ball of the contest. He ended the innings unbeaten on 87 off 34 balls, which included six fours and eight sixes. Kieron Pollard bagged the Player of the Match award, having managed figures of 2/12 in the first innings as well.

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#4 MI vs KXIP, IPL 2019

This run chase against the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) back in 2019 had Kieron Pollard's fingerprints all over it. It was the West Indian's first game as Mumbai Indians captain in the IPL and he took responsibility to get his side over the line in his own style.

Chasing a target of 198, Pollard promoted himself to No. 4 and walked in during the eighth over with his side at 57/2. He took a few balls to settle in before clobbering the bowlers to reach his half-century off just 22 deliveries.

With 40 runs still needed off the last three overs, he walloped 17 runs off the penultimate over against Sam Curran.

The equation eventually came down to 15 off the final over. Kieron Pollard smashed a six and four in the first two balls of that over against Ankit Rajpoot before holing out at deep mid-wicket.

The game was dead and buried by then, with the terminator from Trinidad once again doing the job for MI, who won a thriller.

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#5 MI vs DD, IPL 2010

Kieron Pollard wasted no time in introducing himself to the Mumbai faithful fans in his first season in the IPL. Playing against the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), the West Indian all-rounder walked in with his side in a decent position at 133/4 with three overs to go.

He faced the bulk of the final 18 deliveries, blistering his way through to a 13-ball 45 to carry the Mumbai Indians to a healthy total of 183/4. He contributed in the other two departments as well, delivering an economical spell of 0/15 and was also involved in the runouts of Virender Sehwag and Paul Collingwood.

The all-rounder picked up his first Player of the Match award in this contest. That, in more ways than one, was Kieron Pollard announcing himself on one of the biggest stages in the world.