Rohit Sharma said he loved watching Kieron Pollard from the dugout as the West Indies superstar single-handedly helped the Mumbai Indians complete their most successful chase, gunning down 219 against Chennai Super Kings in Match 27 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 in Delhi on Sunday.
Rohit Sharma said the last-over thriller between CSK and MI was one of the best T20 matches he has been part of in his career. Mumbai Indians’ effort was the highest successful chase on Indian soil in the IPL and the second-highest ever.
When Chennai Super Kings posted 218 and there was no dew in Delhi on Saturday evening, it looked like they were heading towards their 6th successive victory. However, Rohit and Quinton de Kock gave Mumbai a good start, adding 71 runs in just 7 overs for the opening wicket. Mumbai stuttered in the middle as they lost three quick wickets, including that of Suryakumar Yadav cheaply.
Even as the asking rate looked improbable to conquer, Kidron Pollard backed himself and hit 8 sixes and 6 boundaries. Needing 16 runs in the last over, Pollard took the risks by denying singles but got the job done with a masterclass. Pollard was dropped on 68 by Faf du Plessis and the MI all-rounder made sure CSK paid the price for it.
“We got a decent start and then we saw what happened. We just wanted to go there and express ourselves. A brilliant partnership at the top, the Krunal-Pollard partnership was crucial too. When chasing a high score, you want your power-hitters to bat as many balls as possible,” he added.
