IPL 2021: “Was a matter of picking which bowler to hit” - Kieron Pollard on his match-winning knock against CSK

Mumbai Indians (MI) all-rounder Kieron Pollard has said that there was a method to his madness, as he targeted which bowlers to go after during MI's successful chase of 219 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday in Delhi.

Kieron Pollard smashed a brutal 87 not out off only 34 balls, clearing the fence eight times, as MI pulled off a last-ball heist with four wickets in hand. After a bright start, MI stuttered to 81 for 3. However, Kieron Pollard, with able support from the Pandya brothers - Krunal Pandya (32 off 23) and Hardik Pandya (16 off 7) - helped MI script an epic win.

Asked how he went about the massive chase, Kieron Pollard said at a virtual pressure conference:

“We had a small conversation in the dressing room at half-time. We knew how quick the pitch was. We knew that if we stayed in there and laid the foundation in the first six overs, we had the armoury in the tank to come and deliver for us. From the onset, the way Rohit (Sharma) and Quinton (de Kock) played, they gave us that good start in the powerplay. We stuttered in between with a few quick wickets, but after that it was a matter of picking which bowler to hit and trying to execute as best as possible.”

Kieron Pollard pointed out that, in a huge chase, the team needed the small margins to go their way. The MI batsman was dropped in the 18th over, and he made CSK pay heavily for that. Kieron Pollard said in this regard:

“Small things go on, but you need to get these small margins right as an individual and as a team when you are chasing these sort of mammoth totals. Total team effort from the batting perspective. Our batters had a tough time in Chennai, but now we have an opportunity on good wickets to executive our skills properly.”

It was all about @KieronPollard55! Mega effort from the big man. Great support from the entire team! 💙🧿 pic.twitter.com/FdFq7aZJIy

— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) May 1, 2021

Need to stay calm in tense situations: Kieron Pollard

The 33-year-old West Indian also stressed on the importance of staying composed in a huge chase. Kieron Pollard elaborated:

“The equation is on the board. The required run-rate is there for you to see. It is a matter of picking which bowlers you are more comfortable hitting against and see who is the best bowler on the day and try to manoeuvre that. A lot of different things go through your mind, but it is a matter of trying to keep calm in tense situations and trying to make contact with the ball. You practice such scenes and scenarios during practice sessions and, when you get a chance, you come out and try to execute that in a match itself.”

The IPL El Clásico. Our Big Man had to perform! 🔥🔥#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #MI #MIvCSK #IPL2021 @KieronPollard55 pic.twitter.com/UqwvdhyWAK

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) May 1, 2021

The MI all-rounder's blistering match-winning knock meant Ambati Rayudu’s brutal 72 not out off 27 balls for CSK earlier in the game went in vain.