Following Mumbai Indians’ defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad, MI batting coach Kieron Pollard has thrown his weight behind struggling pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, urging fans to show patience amid a rare dip in form.
Despite still being mathematically alive in the tournament, MI’s campaign has taken another hit with their sixth loss, compounded by Bumrah’s unusually difficult season. In eight matches, the star pacer has managed just two wickets at an average of 132.00, making it statistically his toughest IPL so far.
Defending a daunting 243, Bumrah endured another rough outing, conceding 54 runs in his four overs and being hit for five sixes, including a stunning no-look maximum by youngster Salil Arora.
Backing his premier bowler, Pollard emphasised perspective while addressing the media.
“When a cricketer is not doing well, we look at every single aspect as to why he is not doing well. It is no different for Bumrah. He has done it for years. As a player and a human being, he is entitled to make mistakes, not have a good day, a good game, a good season or a good couple of months. We need to sometimes remember what good he has done. Yes, presently he has not been up to the mark, but he has been the number one for MI and India for a good period of time.”
He further urged fans to be more understanding of players under scrutiny.
“Sometimes, you cut these players some slack. We are unfortunate to be in the public eye, when we do bad, it gets highlighted. When someone is doing a regular job, and he sends a wrong email, they have the opportunity to edit the words and all the stuff. He is going to bounce back with greater heights, take wickets and fans will sing ‘Bumrah, Bumrah’ not only for MI but for India too.”
Pollard also admitted that MI have struggled to deliver a complete performance this season, but insisted the team has not given up.
“It has not been as consistent as we would have hoped. The results are showing. It is something you cannot shy away from. Collectively, we have not been good enough. We just need to be collectively better as a unit.”
“But we need to play that complete game of cricket to win a match. It is getting difficult with the way cricket is going, but what I can safely say, in the dressing room, the guys are wanting to fight.”
He made it clear that while losses have hurt, belief within the camp remains intact.
“We have lost games, but we have not accepted defeat. When I said defeat, I didn’t want the headlines to be that the Mumbai Indians have been defeated, because mathematically and from a points perspective, we are still very much in the tournament. Yes, we have accepted losses because we lost the last couple of games, but we have not accepted defeat because we are not out of the tournament.”
MI posted a massive 243/5 after opting to bat, powered by a blistering 44-ball century from Ryan Rickelton (123*), alongside contributions from Will Jacks (46), Naman Dhir (22), and skipper Hardik Pandya (31).
However, SRH chased down the target with ease, led by a fiery 76 from Travis Head and a composed unbeaten 65 from Heinrich Klaasen. Support came from Abhishek Sharma (45) and late fireworks by Salil Arora (30*), sealing the win with six wickets and eight balls to spare.
With this result, SRH climbed to third on the points table with 12 points, while MI languish in ninth and must win their remaining matches to stay in playoff contention.