Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard is ‘tired’ of people blaming specific individuals for team’s defeats after Mumbai Indians lost by 20 runs to Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League , he urged fans not to “nitpick” struggling captain Hardik Pandya. match. CSK legend MS Dhoni scored 26 runs with the help of three consecutive sixes in Pandya’s last game as the MI skipper struggled at right and length while also scoring 26 runs in crucial moments Two wide bowlers were bowled. (IPL 2024 Points Table)

Pandya was 2 for 43 in four overs and also struggled with the bat, scoring just two runs off 6 balls in the crucial juncture of the game.

“You’re going to have days like that. I’m tired of just looking for individual pinpoints. Cricket is ultimately a team sport,” Pollard said at his post-match press conference on Sunday night.

“He (Pandya) is a confident person. He plays well in the team. In cricket, you have good days and bad days. I see a guy who is working very hard to continue his Skills and plying his trade.” Pollard reminded fans of the possibility of Pandya being selected for the T20 World Cup in India and said everyone would “cheer for him” if that happens.

“This is a guy who will be representing his country in less than six weeks. We will all be cheering him on and hoping he does well,” the West Indies legend said.

“It’s time we try to encourage and try to stop carping. Let’s see if we can get the best out of one of the greatest all-rounders India has ever had.”

“He can hit, he can pitch, he can pitch. There’s an X-factor about him. Deep down I hope so much that when he comes out on top, I’ll sit back and watch everyone singing his praises.” This game Pandya’s poor performance with both bat and ball prompted intermittent boos, with former England captain Kevin Pietersen also criticizing the MI skipper for “laughing too much”.

Pollard said he sees Pandya evolving and supports his turnaround.

“You also have to evolve as an individual. When you’re young and full of youthful energy, you go out and do things a certain way. But as you get older, sometimes that sense of responsibility starts to kick in, the responsibility for the team. Responsibility will start to set in,” he said.

“What I see is a guy who is improving. Obviously, us as individuals, we want to see certain things but sometimes the game doesn’t demand certain things.” Pollard said that while Mumbai Indians will take another look Their plans are on Dhoni, but he added that anyone could be the target of the former CSK skipper’s onslaught, just like what Pandya experienced on Sunday night.

“Yes, he hit three sixes and scored 20 runs and scored some runs in the last over, but anyone can score 20 runs in the last over. MS has been world-class for many years. We loved seeing him on the cricket field and walking into the stadium and we were all in awe of what he had achieved.

“The score line (20), that’s the difference. But there’s a lot more to cricket than what we see at the end. For us, it’s much deeper than that. We’ll dissect it throughout the tournament , we’ve done this before and do our homework and try to come back better as a team,” Pollard said.

“MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya… you have a plan on how to bowl to them and then you go back and see if it was executed,” he added .

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