We had the momentum, and we were close to a third win on the trot, but some near misses towards the end saw us suffer a heartbreak to the Chennai Super Kings on Sunday (April 14). 

Batting coach Kieron Pollard addressed the media in the post-match press conference after the game, sharing his thoughts. Starting off, the Mumbai Indians Batting Coach reaffirmed that Hardik Pandya is a confident player who uses both the good and bad results to work towards becoming a better sportsperson.

“He's a confident guy. He has been great around the group. You have good and bad days in cricket. And I'm seeing an individual working hard to continue his skill and apply his trade,” Pollard said.

“You're going to have those days. Cricket is a team sport, after all. This individual will represent the country in less than six weeks. We'll all be cheering for him and wanting him to do well. So it's time we try to encourage him and stop nitpicking.

“And, see if we can get the best out of one of the greats around us that India could ever produce. He can bat, bowl, and field and has an x-factor about him. And, you know, I hope very well, deep down within my heart, that when he comes out on top, I'll sit back, and I'll watch everyone sing his praises.”

Continuing on the discussion of the last over of CSK’s innings, Pollard maintained that it is just a matter of turning an experience into a lesson and then practising the plans drawn to do better against any opponent the next time.

“For each player, it doesn't matter, MS, Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, or Hardik Pandya, you have plans for how you want to bowl to them. You go back and look to see if it was executed,” the LLord said.

“But again, MS has been world-class for years upon years. We love to see him on the cricket field and in stadiums. We're all in awe of what he has accomplished. Again, the scoreline — the 20 runs — is the difference. But cricket is much more than what we see at the end. That's where we need to educate ourselves a little more. Yes, he had three sixes and 20 runs in the last over, but anyone could have also gone for 20 runs in the previous over. So, for us, it's much deeper than that,” he added.

“We will dissect, as we have done throughout the tournament, do our homework, and try to return better as a team.”

The legendary MI player-turned-coach also highlighted how it is very important for sportspersons to keep evolving with the sport.

“I think Hardik, and in general, any player has to evolve as an individual. When you're young, there's that youthful exuberance; you do things in a particular manner,” he said.

“But the older you get, the more responsibility and accountability to the team kicks in. What I'm seeing is a guy who is evolving. We, as individuals, want to see certain things, but sometimes, the game only demands certain things. They will make mistakes as they go along, as we all have done at various times. But what I am seeing is an individual who is putting in the work. I'm sure we all say hard work pays off. At some point, it will pay off, and all of us will be singing his praises when that time comes.”

Chennai Super Kings gave us a target of 207 to chase. Did MI’s bowlers not execute their plan today or were the conditions at the Wankhede challenging to concede fewer runs?

“It's tough for any bowler around the world and in India to bowl at Wankhede,” he said.

“Jasprit has been phenomenal for us. He continues to show that he's a step above the rest. And, again, it's just for us as a bowling group to continue to learn and get better. That's the most we can do as individuals.”

“Again, it's coming. It's coming. It's a long tournament. When you look at our attack, some guys are young in international and franchise cricket. We hope you know that with continuous practice and process, we will execute and start looking better as a bowling team.” he added.

Lastly, Kieron Pollard was asked if he managed to squeeze out essential bowling tips from his relationship with Dwayne Bravo, a former teammate and opponent.

“One thing I'll tell you is that even throughout the IPL and all over the world, if we play on different teams, we always speak to each other about cricket,” Polly said of his bond with the CSK Bowling Coach.

“We all want to learn, improve, and help our respective teams. Bravo has done well for himself as a player and continues to do well now as a coach. So, no matter the date and time, we always speak cricket and learn from each other.”

“At the end of the day, it's being passed on. The guys bowled well today, so kudos to them. But there are days when we would have bowled well and batted well. So, as I said, our relationship is great. We continue to share knowledge and try to help youngsters, not only in the Caribbean but all around the world, get better so we can all sit back and watch them take cricket further going forward,” he concluded.

Paltan, we may have taken one step back, but the climb to Trophy #6 continues. The MUM-boys will now face Punjab Kings on April 18 - the first of four matches on the road. The grind doesn’t just stop here. As Polly said, we have to keep improving, keep learning, keep evolving. And knowing the identity of this team, you know we are bound to return to our usual best.

So, stick around, keep supporting the boys in Blue and Gold, ensure the Mumbai Indians flag keeps flying high and be there with us on our next assignment.