Mumbai Indians’ batting coach Kieron Pollard stepped forward to back Hardik Pandya amidst criticism for his decisions during the IPL match against Gujarat Titans. Pollard clarified that Pandya’s choice to open the bowling was a collective decision, not solely his own. Despite the availability of seasoned bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Gerald Coetzee, Pandya took the new ball but struggled with the economy.

Acknowledging Pandya’s skill in swinging the new ball, Pollard explained that the team aimed to exploit this advantage. The decision was made with the agreement of the team management, emphasizing their confidence in Pandya’s ability to contribute effectively.

“You have to plan and decide what you want to do as a team. Hardik (Pandya) has also bowled with the new ball for Gujarat over the last couple of years. He swung the new ball and bowled it well, which was nothing new to us. We tried to use the advantage of the new ball swinging along. When I look at the decision made, there is nothing wrong with it, and we move on,” Kieron Pollard stated.

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Regarding Pandya’s batting position, Pollard reiterated that it was a collective decision within the team management. Despite Pandya batting lower down the order and promoting Tim David, Pollard expressed confidence in both players’ abilities to finish games for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing season.

“No decision is made on full autonomy, so we can’t say it is his decision. As a team, we have plans; we talk about setting entry points for batters. The top order batted deep into the game, and we also had two power hitters to go in the back end. Usually, if you look at it over time, Tim (David) has finished games for us, and Hardik has done it over the years,” Kieron Pollard elaborated.

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Despite the outcome of the match, Kieron Pollard stood by the team’s decisions, emphasizing the collaborative approach to strategy and planning within the Mumbai Indians camp. As they look ahead in the tournament, the team remains focused on executing their plans effectively to achieve success.