4 times Kieron Pollard stole headlines with quirky actions during an IPL match
Kieron Pollard announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier today. The former West Indies captain made the big announcement via a lengthy note on social media platforms. Pollard was a part of the Mumbai Indians (MI) team from 2010 to 2022.
In a fantastic IPL career, the right-handed batter played 189 matches, scoring 3,412 runs at a strike rate of 147.32. He smashed 16 half-centuries in 171 innings, with his highest score being 87*.
Pollard also bowled 246 overs of right-arm medium pace for the Mumbai-based franchise. He scalped 69 wickets, with his best figures being 4/44. Besides, the all-rounder also captained Mumbai in six IPL games, registering four wins and two losses.
Apart from his incredible all-round talent, Pollard was also known for his antics on the cricket field. In this listicle, we will look back at the four instances where Kieron Pollard stole the headlines with his quirky actions.
#1 Kieron Pollard vs. Mitchell Starc
It was fun while it lasted https://t.co/oPjXZEVhdY
Not a single IPL fan can forget the fight between Mitchell Starc and Kieron Pollard from the 2014 edition of the Indian Premier League. Starc was a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team that season.
During a match between RCB and MI, Starc initiated a war of words with Pollard. The MI all-rounder showed interest in having a fight with the RCB speedster, but things heated up quickly when Pollard asked Starc to stop while he was on the verge of bowling a delivery.
Starc did not stop and fired a yorker towards Pollard. The Mumbai Indians star lost his cool and attempted to throw his bat towards the bowler. Both Starc and Pollard were fined after the incident.
#2 When Pollard taped his mouth
Zipped - Kieron Pollard with tape on his mouth after he was told to keep quite by umpires. #IPL http://t.co/awELgBCz8c
During the 2015 edition of the IPL, Pollard grabbed the headlines again after a match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Pollard was quite chirpy during the RCB innings, which is why the umpires asked him to stay quiet.
Pollard hilariously taped his mouth after that. It is one of the rarest things a cricketer has done on the field.
#3 Kieron Pollard vs. Shane Watson
Mumbai Indians hosted the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for a match at the Wankhede Stadium in IPL 2013. During the game, Pollard tried to get under the skin of Shane Watson. The MI all-rounder was successful as well, as Watson lost his wicket after the exchange of words.
It all started in the fifth over of RR's innings, when Pollard said something that did not go down well with Watson. Pollard had a wide grin on his face, but Watson lost his cool and complained to the umpire. Even captain Rohit Sharma had to step in.
In the end, Watson ended up handing a catch to Pollard, who gave him an over-enthusiastic send-off on his way to the pavilion.
#4 Pollard power
During an IPL 2021 game between MI and RR, Chris Morris bowled a short delivery to Pollard. The MI all-rounder tried to duck, but the ball hit him on his helmet.
Morris' pace ensured that the ball crossed the boundary line. While the ball was on its way to the boundary rope, Pollard waved it as if he were pushing the ball past the ropes.