Mumbai Indians had a great night on Thursday as they beat Punjab Kings in the last over at Dharamsala. But now some of the sheen of that win has been taken off by a controversy involving batting coach Kieron Pollard.
Pollard has been charged with using an ‘audible obscenity’ during the 19th over of Mumbai Indians’ chase. At the end of the 18th over, Mumbai Indians still needed 28 runs off 12 balls and their dugout looked really tense. Will Jacks of England hit a six off the first ball off Aussie pacer Xavier Bartlett to ease their nerves a bit. During this over something happened that led Pollard to lose his cool and use an expletive.
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The Indian Premier League (IPL) or the BCCI has not given details as to when exactly the West Indian lost his cool and what triggered it. Anyway, the former Mumbai Indians player, with them during their all five title wins in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, has admitted that he was in the wrong. He has been fined 15% off his applicable match fee and has been given one demerit point.
“Kieron Pollard, Batting Coach, Mumbai Indians has been fined 15% of his applicable match fee and accumulated one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct for Players and Team officials.
“Pollard was found to have breached article 2.3 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which relates to “use of an audible obscenity during a match.
“The incident occurred in the 19th over of the second innings when Pollard used abusive language towards the fourth umpire.
Pollard admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by Match Referee, Pankaj Dharmani,” an IPL release said on Friday.
What a night for Mumbai Indians!
Anyway, on Thursday night, Mumbai Indians returned to winning ways as they chased down 201 with one ball to go and six wickets in hand. Tilak Varma hit successive sixes off the fourth and fifth balls of the 20th over to take his team over the line in a fantastic display of power-hitting.
He remained unbeaten on 75 off 33 balls. His 56-run stand for the fifth wicket off 20 balls with Jacks proved decisive as MI registered their second win in their last three matches. Although, they are out of play-off contention and now are only playing for pride.