West Indies and Mumbai Indians veteran all-rounder Kieron Pollard announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday (November 15), the IPL 2023 Retention Day. Just hours before, Retention Deadline gets over at 5pm, Pollard announced the decision on social media.
A one-club man, Pollard signed with Mumbai Indians in 2010 and has since become one of the greatest players of this generation, picking up 5 IPL and 2 Champions League trophies with Mumbai Indians. “Pollard is and will continue to always be at #MIForever and will use his decades of experience and skill to strengthen Mumbai Indians as a batting coach and as a player with MI Emirates,” Mumbai Indians announced in a statement on Tuesday.
Pollard ended with 3,412 runs from 189 IPL games with 16 fifties and a strike-rate of 147.32 with a top-score of 87 not out. He also picked up 69 wickets at an average of 31.59 in his IPL career.
“It hasn’t been the easiest decision to make as I will keep playing for a few more years, but I understand that this incredible franchise which has achieved so much needs to transition and if I’m no longer to play for MI then I cannot see myself playing against MI either. Once an MI always an MI. I am immensely proud, honoured and blessed to have represented the biggest and most successful team in the IPL for the past 13 seasons,” Pollard said in the statement.
“Most sincerely, I express my deep appreciation to Mukesh, Nita and Akash Ambani for their tremendous love, support and respect I have always felt and for the confidence they placed in me. I recall our first encounter when they welcomed me with open arms saying, “We are family”. Those were not just mere words, but demonstrated by their every action throughout my time with Mumbai Indians,” the former West Indies all-rounder added.
(More to come)
