The Boys in Blue and Gold have arrived in The City of Nawabs, gunning to make it two wins on the trot when they face the Lucknow Super Giants on Friday, April 4.

Ahead of the crucial clash, our batting coach Kieron Pollard revealed his thoughts on the nature of the pitch at the Ekana cricket stadium.

“My expertise is not as a curator, but I think it's more about adaptability in whatever is presented on a particular day. As a former player and a coach, you want to be able to prepare for any eventuality.

On being questioned about the batting order in the three games so far, Pollard opined that there’s no fixed structure to the same, stressing the importance of flexibility.

“Well, nothing is set. I think the only [certain] thing is that the first two guys [Rohit & Rickelton] walk out to open innings.

“After that, when it comes to T20 cricket and the white ball cricket, you have to be flexible in every situation. So, for us, we sit & plan about different scenarios, different sorts of entry points where guys can actually express themselves in difficult situations. Hence, nothing set in stone,” Pollard said.

“I just think at times, we tend to make a lot out of where a guy bats, slated to bat and where he comes to bat. At the end of the day, as I said, the most important things are adaptability and flexibility,” the West Indian mentioned.

Furthermore, Kieron Pollard also suggested how the young talents in the team need time to get into the mix of things and the ‘process’ that everyone needs to follow in order to ‘nurture’ them to their full potential.

“When you look at it at some point in time, the superstars we speak about were young talents as well. There's a cycle in everything that you do. There are generational changes.

“We just need to accept that we have an opportunity now. We have young guys coming in at different times and doing well. We tend to put a lot of expectations on their shoulders & straight away start to think about whether the senior guys, who have nurtured them, should be out of the reckoning. So I think in everything that we do, there should be a balance. Every single year of the IPL, you get to unearth young talents which is healthy for Indian cricket,” Polly said.

Meanwhile, Pollard was optimistic about Rohit Sharma’s form and said it’s only a matter of time before he is back among the runs.

“Personally, I've been alongside Rohit since his u-19 days. He has etched his name in history and record books in different situations and formats of the game. He's a legend of the game in his own right. There are times when you'll have a couple of low scores. He has the right, as an individual, to enjoy his cricket and not be pressured in certain situations. So let's not judge on a couple of low scores.

“In cricket, we know we feel more than we succeed. And I'm sure we'll be singing out his praises when he gives us that big score,” he concluded.

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तात्या ne bol diya, bass bol diya. 🤓 Paltan, brace yourselves for some fireworks when the two teams lock horns in less than 24 hours’ time!

Our blue army knows the drill already! ✌ Keep cheering at every ball and ensure the Mumbai Mumbaiiiiiiii chants overpower every other sound inside the venue. 🔊