"Pollard has to bowl at least three overs" - Sanjay Manjrekar on MI all-rounder's place in the playing XI
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes veteran all-rounder Kieron Pollard needs to contribute with the ball for the Mumbai Indians. He said doing so would justify the West Indian's place in the playing XI in the ongoing IPL 2022.
The five-time IPL champions have had a poor start to their campaign, losing all six games so far in the competition. The lack of form of senior cricketers like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Pollard has not done any good either.
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The giant West Indian, who announced his international retirement on Wednesday, has come under the scanner for his below-par returns. Sanjay Manjrekar feels Kieron Pollard needs to bowl at least three overs given that Mumbai have a lack of experienced bowlers.
Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Sanjay Manjrekar said:
"I don't know whether Mumbai Indians ever think of Pollard being dispensable. But I believe that Pollard has to bowl at least three overs if not four because the team needs a bowler desperately. I think under pressure he is better than a lot of bowlers in this side. So if he is not bowling and continuing only to bat finally, I think they got to look at the scores and the contributions of Pollard."
Pollard has bowled only seven overs in six outings, going at an economy of 10 runs per over. His batting efforts have not been good either. The 34-year-old cricketer has only managed to accumulate 82 runs at a paltry average of 16.40.
Carlos Brathwaite also stressed that Kieron Pollard's place in the playing XI is under the scanner. He added:
"For the first time in a couple of seasons, I will probably say yes. But Pollard brings so much to Mumbai Indians. He is a stalwart to the franchise and he will get a long rope as usual. But he needs to start performing very soon because the team is not winning."
Pollard has been in this space before and has come out with flying colors. Hence, the Mumbai Indians will want their senior statesman to pull the IPL team out of the grave as they lock horns with Chennai Super Kings on Thursday.
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"Time will tell" - Sanjay Manjrekar on whether price tag has taken a toll on Ishan Kishan's performance
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The young wicket-keeper batter had a bright start to IPL 2022 with two consecutive half-centuries. But since then, his performances have fallen flat. Many have opined that the βΉ15.25 crore price tag has impacted Ishan's game big time as the cricketer has struggled to play his normal attacking game.
Throwing light on the same, Sanjay Manjrekar stated that it is too early to comment on whether the hefty paycheque has taken a jolt to Ishan's performance. The cricket expert added:
"Time will tell. Some people react better when there is pressure on them, especially the pressure of the price tag. However, a few players get bogged down. Actually, at what stage of your career is the price tag gets higher, if you are in the pink of your health with your cricket form, that is fine. but time will tell whether that's one of the reasons why we are seeing a less impactful Ishan Kishan."
According to the IPL schedule 2022, the 24-year-old cricketer will hope to come out all guns blazing against CSK and play a significant role as Mumbai look to end their losing streak.