IPL 9: Fly Pollard fly, says Robin Singh

After Kieron Pollard’s blistering unbeaten 51 in 17 balls helped Mumbai Indians thrash Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets on Thursday, batting coach Robin Singh lavished praise on the big hitting Trinidadian and sounded a warning to the opponents.

Pollard hit six sixes, three each of R Sathish and Jaydev Unadkat to help his side romp home with two overs to spare. Before this game, Pollard had scored 71 runs in six matches including an unbeaten 19-ball 39 in winning cause against Royal Challengers Bangalore was his best effort.

“What is really important that when you have someone like Pollard coming in at the back end and you have Jos Buttler just ahead of him, oppositions are never safe with any sort of score on the board. As you saw it’s just the question of one over in the game which changes the course of the game, people like Pollard actually you need to have in any team,” the former India all-rounder said.

“His game has matured over the years. In the last season he played similar knocks like this right compared to initially when he came in. He can take the game right down till the end and he has understood the responsibility not just as somebody who can just strike the ball but actually somebody who is critical to the side. More importantly, it is sending jitters to the opposition,” Robin added.

Robin said Pollard, who sustained a knee injury in November last year, has worked hard on rehab programme to get fit in time for the IPL.