Pollard defends Hardik’s leadership while calling for honest post-season review

Reflecting on a disappointing campaign, Kieron Pollard acknowledged that Mumbai Indians had fallen short throughout the tournament. Speaking at the post-match press conference, he pointed to a lack of consistency as the root cause.

“If this had happened, if we had done this, if we had done that, if we had played this one, if we had batted—it’s a bit of all that,” Pollard said. “Overall, it has been disappointing for all of us as Mumbai Indians. I’m sure the fans and everyone would have felt the same, and there’s no hiding from that. We weren’t good the entire tournament. We weren’t able to string together wins and use the momentum when we got it.”

However, Pollard drew a clear line against premature analysis.

“Right now is not the time and place to talk about that post mortem. All these things will be emotional decisions and thinking through every aspect of what’s needed,” he said. “Everyone needs that time and space to go, sit down, recollect, have a fair idea and assessment as to where it went wrong for us. That’s where better decision-making is going to come about. If you sit here right now and say you need to do this, you need to do that, I think that will be irresponsible from a management perspective.”

When the review does take place, Pollard expects it to be thorough.

“Guys are going to sit back and actually think about what’s needed,” he said, referencing the team’s five-year title drought. “It has been a while since we won the championship, and that’s something we have accepted as a team. Another disappointing campaign adding to what would have transpired before. So deep thinking is going to go into it.”

Two issues have repeatedly surfaced during the season: Hardik Pandya’s captaincy and Jasprit Bumrah’s loss of wicket-taking form.

“We didn’t think that today would have been right for him to play. We had other guys on the bench. We have depth in our bowling. We have young guys. So trying something different, I don’t see anything wrong with that”

Pollard on leaving out Bumrah for the last game

“If we go back 12 months, we finish third [fourth, in IPL 2025],” Pollard said when asked about retentions and releases ahead of the season. “So that in itself justifies some of the changes you would have made before. Now, finishing ninth, you’re not wanting to question it. I think that’s the inconsistencies we need to stay away from and understand strategically where we need to get better.

“And from a leadership perspective, Hardik—yes, it has not gone maybe as well as he would have wanted as an individual. But one thing you know is that we tried each and everything to give him the best opportunity to lead the franchise and do well. And again, no one is going to sit here and point fingers. I think when you lose, you have to look at it from a collective perspective. So you win some, you lose some. He was trying, we all were trying, and it just didn’t work out for us.”

Bumrah, meanwhile, endured his leanest season in terms of wickets since 2015, when he played only four matches and claimed three wickets. This time, despite an excellent economy rate of 8.37, he finished with just four wickets.

Hardik Pandya has had a poor season as player and as captain•PTI

“To be honest, he came in with a bit of a niggle after the World Cup. We tried to manage it. He wasn’t his best self in terms of fitness perspective and all of that,” Pollard said. “But he was able to come and try to deliver.”

After 13 games, Bumrah was rested for Mumbai Indians’ season finale.

“You’re going to get two points if you played. What’s that going to do for us,” Pollard said. “I think sometimes you need to understand the player, understand what’s necessary at this point in time. And I think from a selection perspective, we didn’t think that today would have been right for him to play. We had other guys on the bench. We have depth in our bowling. We have young guys. So trying something different, I don’t see anything wrong with that.

“So let’s not look too much into that. This is the last game of the season. It’s not that we could have qualified [for the playoffs]. And he’s a prized possession for Indian cricket. So sometimes you have to take the smarter option.”

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