Kieron Pollard had a day to remember against Chennai Super Kings during the 27th match of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2021. He first took two wickets in successive balls in his first over. Pollard, then, came to play the match-winning innings with the bat as Mumbai Indians did an absolute jailbreak by chasing the mammoth target of 219 on the last.
Pollard was handed the ball in the 12th over. He justified his captain’s decision by dismissing Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina off successive deliveries. In the very next over, it looked like he dismissed in-form Ravindra Jadeja as well but the umpire made an error in judgement.
Also Read: Kieron Pollard pleaded the ball to reach the boundary line
The incident occurred on the second ball of Pollard’s second over. He bowled a straight ball to Jadeja who missed the flick and ended up playing the ball by his pads. Pollard went up on appeal straight away and kept appealing until the umpire gave Jadeja out. However, the CSK all-rounder asked for a referral and the replays suggested that the ball pitched just outside the leg-stump.
That’s how Twitter reacted after this incident;
https://twitter.com/lodulalit001/status/1388533683900932096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1388533683900932096%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsportscafe.in%2Fcricket%2Farticles%2F2021%2Fmay%2F01%2Ftwitter-reacts-to-kieron-pollards-long-appeal-forcing-the-umpire-to-incorrectly-declare-jadeja-out
haan lekin abhi dekha na pollard kitna appeal kiya, umpire bhi ek baar to thoda boht sochne lagega na
— oliver (@jaynildave) May 1, 2021
On field Umpire to Pollard before giving his decision …#MIvCSK pic.twitter.com/AX3NrOzmRh
— 💲🅰〽️ (@Samcasm7) May 1, 2021
Pollard kinda ordered umpire
— Jinu Rajan (@jinurajan11) May 1, 2021
Mi ah pollard ah Umpire ah ohhooii 😌 https://t.co/chIXnK8Cfh
— ✨விஜய்💙ᴹ˟ᴼ˟ᴴ˟ᴬ˟ᴺ✨ (@Unlucky__charm) May 1, 2021
What a Umpire!!
Giving out decision after seeing Pollard's reaction 😏😏
— яσнιт_45 вυттℓєя_63 (@Ro_45_jos_63) May 1, 2021
Rey #Pollard Umpire ni champesthava Enti ??
— #MakeAndhraGreatAgain (@puttasudheer) May 1, 2021
These umpires are scared and times gives decision…
This decision was clear that Pollard appeal made the umpire to give it out..#MIvCSK #MIvsCSK #IPL pic.twitter.com/yK0R2sSf40— My Conscience (@MyConscience16) May 1, 2021
Pollard’s spell conceded just 12 runs in two overs while he managed to break the momentum of CSK’s innings by dismissing Du Plessis and Sure Raina on back-to-back balls.
Ambati Rayudu’s swashbuckling innings took CSK’s total to 218/4 in 20 overs and gave MI a huge target to go after.
Also Read: Faf du Plessis takes a stunning catch off Manish Pandey
CSK were on top at the 10th over mark with MI’s top three back in the hut. Out came Kieron Pollard and he turned the tide with his fastest fifty of the IPL career. He reached the milestone in just 17 balls and battered Prithvi Shaw’s record of scoring the fastest fifty of this season.
Pollard scored unbeaten 87 runs in just 34 balls, where he struck six fours and eight gigantic sixes. MI won the thriller on the last ball of the game by four wickets.
