Kieron Pollard of the Mumbai Indians has stated that the T20 World Cup is meaningless for the time being since his major goal is to perform well for his team in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.
MI beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six wickets on Tuesday at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, putting on a clinical display with both bat and ball.
When MI scored the game-winning runs against PBKS, Pollard was in the middle. He stated that looking too far ahead to the T20 World Cup is not how players conduct themselves.
“To be honest, the (T20) World Cup is useless at this moment in time; we are competing in the IPL. When competing as an individual, you must focus on the present and not look too far ahead. It is a question of instilling trust in all of the men and finding the greatest answers. These are the men who completed the task for us. People on the outside have no idea what it’s like to be a cricketer.
“Why should we care about the T20 World Cup when we’re competing in the IPL? Let’s get back to the present.
When questioned about the pitches in the UAE, Pollard emphasised the need of adjusting to conditions.
“Everyone is talking about pitches, but you can’t always get what you want. You must adapt as a professional athlete. It is about being in the present moment and dealing with what is in front of us as a team for me “He said.
MI’s all-rounder Hardik Pandya shone with the bat, smashing an undefeated 40* to propel his team to win. Saurabh Tiwary and Kieron Pollard also contributed with 45 and 15* runs, respectively. Pollard grabbed two wickets for the defending champions, who limited PBKS to 135 runs.
“We have faith in one another and think we can overcome any obstacle. So, I believe the most important thing for us is belief, and we have put ourselves in this scenario, and the players and management are working together “Pollard stated.
On Saturday, the Mumbai Indians will face the Delhi Capitals.