Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard has backed under-fire Rohit Sharma to succeed in the IPL 2025 season despite his poor start to the campaign with the bat. Rohit, who was instrumental in India’s Champions Trophy win, failed to carry the form into the IPL campaign and has struggled at the top.
In the 3 matches he has played so far, Rohit has scored 21 runs at an average of 7 and a strike-rate of 105. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Pollard commented on the MI star’s form and hailed the Indian opener as a legend of the game.
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The MI batting coach said that Rohit is doing everything right as an individual and asked everyone not to judge him based on a few low scores. Pollard said that in cricket a player fails more than he succeeds and claimed that people will start singing Rohit’s praises once he gets a big score.
“Personally, I’ve played alongside Rohit since U-19 cricket, and he has fought his way and etched his name in history and in the record books in different situations, different formats of the game.”
“He’s a legend of the game in his own right. And as an individual as well, there are times when you have a couple of low scores. He is doing the right things as well as an individual who now enjoys cricket and does not be pressurised in certain situations.”
“So let’s not judge on a couple of low scores. In cricket, we know, we fail more than we succeed, and I’m sure we’ll be singing out his praises when he comes and he gives us that big score, and then he’ll be the next hot topic,” said Pollard.
Pollard on MI’s scouting success
MI’s scouting has unearthed two gems in Vignesh Puthur and Ashwani Kumar this season. Ashwani picked up four wickets on his debut against KKR and Pollard said that it shows there’s a place for everyone in the team.
Pollard, however, said that there should be a balance in the squad.
“There’s a place for everyone. Every superstar today was once a young talent. We need to be mindful of how we portray things—there is a natural cycle in cricket. While young players deserve recognition, we shouldn’t forget the experienced players who have nurtured them. The IPL is great for unearthing new talent every year, and that’s a positive sign for Indian cricket,” said Pollard.
“I can’t speak for other franchises, as I don’t know their scouting processes in detail. However, I can confidently say that MI has been successful in identifying and nurturing talent over the years. There’s a method to our approach, and every IPL season, we aim to bring forward new talent who can contribute in the long run.”
MI will face LSG on Friday, April 4.
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