Kieron Pollard Wants MI Batters to Reignite the Fire Against CSK

image-lg6mbbf7Suryakumar with Pollard in a training session (Mumbai Indians)

Mumbai Indians slumped to an eight-wicket defeat in their IPL 2023 opener against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Their entire top-order crumbled against the RCB bowlers before Tilak Varma’s 84-run exhibition lifted them up to a respectable 171.

Rohit Sharma and co. will now face familiar nemesis Chennai Super Kings in their next fixture, this time at their home base, Wankhede Stadium. Ahead of the much-awaited clash, MI's veteran Kieron Pollard has acknowledged that his team did not get off to a great start in their campaign and talked about what would it take to rectify their error going ahead.

Pollard emphasises on team effort in batting

Mumbai Indians were reduced to 20-3 and later to 48-4 in their opening IPL 2023 fixture against the RCB. Each of their top four batters failed to go big, with captain Sharma managing just a run off the 10 balls he faced in his stay at the crease.

The innings was rejuvenated by young Tilak Verma, whose 46-ball unbeaten 84 engineered the total to a respectable 171. However, the five-time winners still went down to the RCB by eight wickets, courtesy of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis’ sublime 148-run opening stand.

"I believe all batters have to fire. I do not think we should not single out any individual. Cricket is played with eleven players, and again, the tournament has just started so everyone is just looking to start (on a) high." 

"Yes we did not get off to a great start as a batting unit but in the end we managed a decent total in Bangalore. Let us see what happens since we are back at Wankhede."

Mumbai Indians will face the CSK on April 8 at Wankhede in match number 12 of the IPL 2023 season.