Mumbai Indians (MI) batting coach Kieron Pollard expressed his excitement about working with Hardik Pandya in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He noted that the all-rounder has been a part of the franchise for a while and everyone will support him in his new role.
The lethal duo of Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard will be back for Mumbai Indians. But this time it will be a different role for both in the league. While Pollard will be the batting coach of the team, the all-rounder will be the captain of the team.
After IPL 2021, the duo of Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya parted ways and the Indian all-rounder moved to Gujarat Tiants. Pollard, on the other hand, was named the team’s hitting coach last season and did a great job in his new role on the team.
Hardik Pandya, after captaining the Gujarat Titans for two seasons, returned to the Mumbai Indians in what was the biggest trade in the Indian Premier League. The franchise not only brought him back but also received the leadership of the team ahead of IPL 2024.
The move did not go down well with fans, who criticized the franchise for removing Rohit Sharma as team captain. India’s senior opener led the team to five IPL titles and the way he was eliminated caused fans to even criticize Hardik Pandya for his selfish nature.
However, the upcoming IPL 2024 will be a great opportunity to silence all the critics and lead the team to win the title. The all-rounder would be eager to lead the team to victory and help them register their sixth Trophy victory.
Batting coach Kieron Pollard is excited about IPL 2024 and expressed his joy at seeing Hardik Pandya back in Mumbai Indians colours. Speaking in a video released by the franchise, he stated:
“I’m very excited to see what the 2024 season has in store for us. It’s a new season. We also have a couple of new guys in the batting lineup. Obviously, it’s good to have him (Pandya) back. He has been a part of Mumbai Indians for the last five-six years.”
He has done fantastic things for Mumbai – Kieron Pollard on Hardik Pandya
Kieron Pollard further highlighted Hardik Pandya’s contributions to Mumbai Indians and said that he is excited to see an all-rounder in the new role. The Mumbai Indians batting coach added that Hardik can take the legacy forward. He added:
“He has done fantastic things for Mumbai. I’m looking forward to seeing him in a new role. And everyone is here to support him (Pandya). He also has the legacy of taking it on.”
Mumbai Indians will open their IPL 2024 campaign against the Gujarat Giants on March 24. They made it to the Qualifier in the last IPL season and this time they would be eager to take two steps forward and win another title.