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IPL 2021: Mahela Jayawardene rates Pollard's knock as one of the very best

Mumbai Indians halted Chennai Super Kings’ winning run after completing a sensational run-chase in the final delivery of the match courtesy a special knock from the blade of Kieron Pollard. MI’s head coach Mahela Jayawardene rated Pollard’s knock as one of the very best he has seen from the Caribbean. In a video posted by the Mumbai Indians, Jayawerdena can be seen congratulating his team for chasing down a mammoth target of 219 runs. The Mumbai vs Chennai contest has always been one of the high-octane games of the competition. It is regarded as the El Classico of IPL and Jayawerdena also reiterated the fact that this game hasn’t been easy for either of the teams. “It was an amazing game. I think history shows that this game is not an easy game for either of the teams. I think the quality both team possesses showed today. The margins are very small. I think the conditions and all that helped. Two powerhouse team to conquer and I think we held our nerves a little bit better at the back end,” Jayawardene said. Speaking on Pollar’s exceptional knock, Jayawardene said, “And obviously Polly’s amazing knock. Cant take that away. One of the very best, I have seen a few from Pollard while I have been in Mumbai but this is right up there. Just the mental toughness for him to go through that whole scenario, analysing what he needs to do and who he needs to take down and going through and keeping other batters calm collective as well. Great knock from him. Pollard not only made a match-winning impact with the bat but he also bagged two crucial wickets with the ball in hand. He was close to taking three having missed a tough chance and with Jadeja getting away with the LBW call. Jayawardene said that Pollard was not too happy after not being given the ball for a third over despite bagging a couple of wickets. “Showed a lot of leadership qualities out there especially with the ball as well. He was bit upset that he wasn’t given the third but I know he was a bit tired at that time. Overall it was a fantastic game for Polly and the whole team. Another win. Gives us an opportunity to play some consistent cricket and focus on producing the goods in the second half of the tournament. Chasing a mammoth target of 219, Mumbai Indians began fluently with the help of some exceptional shots from the blade of Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma. The skipper was dismissed after a partnership of 60 runs with QDK. Rohit’s dismissal brought in two more as Suryakumar Yadav and QDK was also dismissed in quick succession. MI needed a big knock from Pollard and he came out all guns blazing. He started taking on the spinners and after a few sixes, there was no respite for any of the bowlers. Even his mishits were sailing over the boundary ropes and CSK was under the pump. Despite losing his partners at the other end, he kept plundering sixes at will and eventually helped MI chase the target down in the final delivery of the match. He remained unbeaten on 87 of 34 deliveries which included 6 fours and 8 sixes.

IPL 2021| CSK vs MI: All records broken in Kieron Pollard masterclass

It was a night to remember for cricket fans in general, Mumbai Indians fans in particular, but for Kieron Pollard fans, it was once in a decade moment as the beastly built from Trinidad showed exactly what does it mean when we say, ‘carnage with the bat’. While chasing down a humongous target of 219, Pollard hit eight sixes and six fours in his unbeaten 87 off 34 balls. No doubt that the 33-year-old was helped by some poor fielding including a sitter being dropped by Faf du Plessis, but hey, what is a knock without grabbing some chances. In this display of magic by the veteran, and not to forget the run-fest in both the innings, helped by equally brilliant innings by Ambati Rayudu from the Chennai Super Kings, there were a lot of records that were broken, a lot many created. Here is a list of them Maiden 200 plus chase by Mumbai Indians The Pollard innings and some really sloppy bowling by Lungi Ngidi in the last over meant that Mumbai was able to record its first-ever 200 plus successful run chase. The previous best for the Blue and Gold brigade was 199 vs Punjab Kings (Kings XI Punjab) in 2017. Second Highest successful run chase in IPL It was also the second-highest successful run chase in the tournament’s history, second only to Rajasthan Royals’ last year’s dramatic win against Punjab kings in Sharjah, where they chased down 224. Highest successful run chases in IPL 224 - RR vs KXIP, Sharjah, 2020 219 - MI vs CSK, Delhi, 2021 215 - RR v DC, Hyderabad. 2008 209 - DD v GL, Delhi, 2017 Fastest IPL 2021 fifty The 17 ball fifty by Pollard that broke all the defence mechanisms of MS Dhoni-led side was also the fastest fifty of this season and joint-fastest fifty for a Mumbai Indian batsman. The record for 17 ball fifties in IPL by a MI batter is shared by Pollard, Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan. Most runs conceded by top three bowlers in a match in IPL It wasn’t a good day in the field particularly for the Mumbai Indians bowlers as they were taken for cleaners all around the ground, firstly by Moeen Ali and then by Rayudu. The number of runs conceded by the top three (in order of their coming into the attack) MI bowlers was the highest for any team in the IPL history. The trio of Trent Boult, Bumrah and Dhawal Kulkarni gave away 146 runs in their quota of 12 overs. 146 - MI v CSK, 2021 (Boult, Kulkarni, Bumrah) 144 - RCB v MI, 2015 (Abdulla, Aaron, Nechim) 144 - KXIP v SRH, 2019 (Arshdeep, Mujeeb, Shami) Most expensive IPL spell for Jasprit Bumrah The role of India’s ace pace bowler, Bumrah was noteworthy in the whacking that Mumbai received at the hands of CSK and Rayudu in particular. The 27-year-old went for 56 runs in his four overs. It was his most expensive spell of the career. In IPL’s history too, it was his most expensive 24 balls that he bowled (he bowled more than 24 balls including the extras). The previous worst for Bumrah came way back in 2015 when he was hit for 55 runs against Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). Joint fastest fifty for CSK Rayudu, who hit 27 balls 72 with the help of four fours and seven sixes also reached the milestone of fifty runs in just 20 balls, making him the joint second-fastest scorer of a fifty by a Chennai Super Kings batsman. He equalled skipper Dhoni’s record. Fastest fifties for CSK Raina- 16 (balls) Dhoni- 20 (balls) Rayudu- 20 (balls) This innings by the 35-year-old Andhra Pradesh born was also the joint second-fastest fifty against Mumbai Indians in the IPL, he once again equalled MS Dhoni. Fastest fifty against MI Pant- 18 (balls) Dhoni-20, (balls) Rayudu -20 (balls) Most runs scored in last 10 overs of successful IPL run chase Another record that was broken in this game was that of the most runs scored in the last 10 overs of a chase in IPL history. When Pollard came to bat at the fall of Quinton de Kock’s wicket, the score of Mumbai was 81-3 at the end of 9.4 overs. From there on, he just went berserk resulting in 138 runs being achieved in the last 60 balls. Most runs in last 10 overs of successful run chase IPL 138 MI vs CSK Delhi 2021 * (Pollard 87* off 34) 133 MI vs PBKS Mumbai WS 2019 (Pollard 83 off 31) 126 PBKS vs RCB Mohali 2013 In this game, the West Indies’ limited-overs skipper also bowled two overs, picking two wickets and giving away just 12 runs. With this win at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Pollard once again established why he is so highly rated by the Mumbai Indians and everyone in the cricketing world.

There must have been a fall out between Warner & team management: Simon Doull

Sunrisers Hyderabad handed over the captaincy to Kane Williamson replacing David Warner after they have had a disappointing run so far in the IPL 2021. SRH have lost five matches out of the six that they have played. But former New Zealand player Simon Doull is of a different opinion about the change in captaincy and has suggested that 'there must have been a falling out' between Warner and the team management for the playing XI and especially on Manish Pandey’s place. Warner had earlier said that dropping Pandey in one of the games was a ‘harsh call’. "I think there must have been a falling out somewhere along the lines and not with the team, there has to be a falling out with the coaching structure. After what he said in that game about leaving Manish Pandey out, it was not his decision at all, he didn't want to do it clearly. And basically, you passed the buck, you blamed it on someone else and I think he has paid the price for that," said Doull while speaking to Cricbuzz. Doull also talked about the sacking of Tom Moody and then getting him back in the side. "That dynamic... you sack a coach, Tom Moody, you employ Trevor Bayliss and then you bring Tom Moody back to oversee your cricket. I don't know how that relationship can possibly work. And I wonder whether one [win] in 5 (6) is the direct result of that relationship not working... And the press release suggests that he [David Warner] won't even play now that's even more strange," Doull added. The Hyderabad-based franchise will now face RR on Sunday in Delhi.

It's been a frustrating start to the season for us: Jos Buttler

Rajasthan Royals have had a dismal run in the IPL 2021 so far having won just two matches out of the six games that they have played. Wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler has said that the team has been performing in phases but haven’t been able to win the matches. “It's been a frustrating start to the season for us. We haven't had the results we would have liked. I think we've played well in phases but haven't been able to put games to bed with bat, ball or in the field," Buttler said. Talking about the points table, the wicket-keeper batsman admitted that they need to get back to the winning ways as early as possible. RR are presently sitting at the seventh spot with just four points under their belt. “We've let ourselves down in certain situations and given the points table we need to get it right as soon as possible to make sure that we're still challenging to make the playoffs." RR handed over the captaincy to Sanju Samson ahead of the starting of the IPL 2021. Mentioning about Samson’s captaincy, the England cricketer said that he is very clear about what he wants from the team. "Sanju's (Samson) been very consistent in his messaging and how he wants us to play, express ourselves and make sure we enjoy the tournament," said Buttler. The Royals take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday in Delhi.