Mumbai Indians to Play Jasprit Bumrah Despite IPL Exit, Says Kieron Pollard
Despite being out of contention for the IPL playoffs, Mumbai Indians have no plans to rest star pacer Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the T20 World Cup, according to batting coach Kieron Pollard.
After a much-needed win against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Pollard addressed the media and dismissed any talks of resting Bumrah for the remaining two matches of the IPL season.
“We are all here to play an entire IPL. Sometimes when we think too far ahead of different things, thinking about World Cups, all these things could affect performances even from before the team was selected,” Pollard said.
MI’s last game is against Lucknow Super Giants on May 17, while the T20 World Cup is set to begin on June 1.
Pollard also praised Suryakumar Yadav for his exceptional century, stating that as a batting coach, the most challenging aspect is to balance his attacking instinct with situational awareness.
Meanwhile, SRH’s assistant coach Simon Helmot acknowledged Suryakumar’s brilliance and predicted his impact in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
“It’s very difficult (to bowl at Suryakumar) and you guys have seen him close up for many years as I have. He’s a very difficult batsman to match up with when he’s in that sort of frame of mind, that sort of mood,” Helmot said.
Despite the defeat, Helmot highlighted the positive of maintaining their fourth spot in the IPL points table and emphasized the tight competition this season.
With both teams looking ahead to their next matches, the focus remains on finishing the IPL strong before shifting gears to the T20 World Cup.