Rohit Sharma or Kieron Pollard - who is the greater MI batter in IPL history?
Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard, two big names of not just the Mumbai Indians (MI) but the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a whole, have been pillars for the success of the franchise over the years.
Mumbai Indians have won the IPL trophy a record five times, with Rohit and Pollard playing vital roles in all of their successful campaigns. The former MI captain joined them in 2011 and has been with the franchise ever since. He is set to feature in the upcoming 2025 season as well.
On the other hand, Kieron Pollard joined Mumbai Indians in 2010 and represented them till 2022. Both players have been a part of their title-winning campaigns in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
While Rohit is known for his skills at the top of the order, Pollard was an absolute threat to bowlers at the back end of the innings. Both batters have scored plenty of runs for Mumbai Indians and have helped them win numerous games, leaving behind a legacy of their own.
Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard are two MI superstars and picking one between the two may not be a straightforward task. However, let us take a look at the IPL record of both these players and their impact to determine who is the greater batter in Mumbai's history.
Rohit Sharma's IPL record
Rohit Sharma has scored 6,628 runs in his IPL career so far. However, it is to be noted that he played the first three seasons for the Deccan Chargers before joining Mumbai Indians in 2011.
For Mumbai, Rohit has amassed 5,731 runs for Mumbai Indians with an average of 29.69 and a strike rate of 131.05. The right-hander has scored two hundreds and 36 half-centuries for Mumbai Indians.
Rohit Sharma has played 14 seasons for MI and is their leading run-scorer in the history of the IPL. While he has a stellar overall record, the right-hander has not been consistent over the last few seasons.
In 2024, he scored 417 runs but in previous seasons (332 runs in 2023, 268 runs in 2022, 381 runs in 2021, and 332 runs in 2020), he has failed to touch the 400-run mark.
Kieron Pollard's IPL record
West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard played his first season for MI in 2010 and featured for them till the end of the 2022 season.
With 3,412 runs in his IPL career, Pollard is the second-highest run-getter for the Mumbai Indians. He scored these runs with an average of 28.67 and strike rate of 147.32 and 16 half-centuries.
Pollard was one of Mumbai's batting mainstays throughout his career. His best performances for them came in 2013, where he scored 420 runs in the season, and in 2015, where he smashed 419 runs. Both were seasons where Mumbai lifted the trophy as well.
Pollard maintained a strike rate of 156.74 in 2019, 191.42 in 2020, and 148.48 in 2021.
Who is the greater batter for Mumbai Indians in the IPL?
Both Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard have made phenomenal contributions for Mumbai Indians in the history of the IPL. While Rohit has scored the most runs for them, Pollard is only behind him, but with a much better strike rate.
In terms of impact, both players have played several match-winning knocks. However, Rohit often batted in the top order and even opened the innings while Pollard always batted lower down the order.
Taking the pressure upon himself, Pollard has won MI several games single-handedly from unbelievable situations, smashing bowlers consistently at the death and turning games in MI's favor.
Given the position at which he batted and the situations in which he came to crease often, Pollard's impact has been greater with the bat for the five-time champions.