Kieron Pollard, arguably one of the legends of the IPL, has announced his retirement from the league. The Trinidadian, acquired by the Mumbai Indians in a secret bidding in the IPL 2009 auction, said “Once an MI always an MI.”
Former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo paid a heartwarming tribute for his ex-teammate Kieron Pollard after the Mumbai Indians star announced his retirement from IPL.
Bravo, who played a role in bringing Pollard to MI 13 years ago in 2010 when he left the franchise and put in a good word for his friend, mentioned how proud he was of the all-rounder’s achievements and wished him luck for his new role as the franchise’s batting coach.
“To my best friend, my teammate, opponent. 13 years ago, I had a very small part to play in introducing you to arguably one the most successful IPL teams @mumbaiindians. I saw you grow from a little boy from Maloney and then go to India to dominate the toughest T20 league. You became a household name around the world,” Bravo wrote.
“Lord, I salute you on a fantastic career wish you all the best in your next chapter as it’s a sad day for you and your fans but we also celebrate what you have achieved. I feel proud as your friend and to write this message @kieron.pollard55 #LORD #LEGEND #BIGLIP from the champion.”
Bravo was with MI for the first two seasons of the IPL in 2008 and 2009 before switching to Chennai Super Kings.
The Mumbai Indians said he will remain with the team as its batting coach and will continue as a player for the MI Emirates, the franchise’s subsidiary in the UAE league (ILT20).
Pollard captained the MI team in nine games across seasons. He was retained by the franchise for INR 6 crore last season in which batting returns were very meagre – just 144 runs in 11 games.