The Mumbai Indians are standing firm on their decision not to give their key Indian fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, a break despite being out of the race for the IPL playoffs, affirmed batting coach Kieron Pollard.
In a Monday showdown, MI triumphed over Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets, with Suryakumar Yadav's splendid unbeaten 102 guiding the team to chase down a target of 174 with 16 balls to spare.
This victory not only halted MI's four-game losing streak but also marked just their fourth win out of 12 matches in the current season.
Pollard addressed the media post-game, stating, "I certainly haven't had any discussions about that," in response to queries about resting Bumrah for MI's remaining two matches with an eye on the upcoming T20 World Cup. He added, "I don't think that's my role and function at this point in time. But let's see what happens. 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."
He emphasized the team's focus on concluding the IPL first, stating, "For us and in our camp, the most important thing is finishing off the IPL and let's see what happens after that. When he leaves the IPL and he goes into the Indian team, I think that's where that concession will take place."
MI's final IPL match is against Lucknow Super Giants at home on May 17. The T20 World Cup, scheduled to be co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies, will commence on June 1.
Pollard also shed light on the challenge of coaching an all-round batter like Suryakumar, highlighting the difficulty in tempering his attacking nature. He remarked, "He's one, who, by nature, instinctively, is very aggressive. He wants to take the bowler's on more often than not. At times it's just a matter of understanding the situation and respecting the new ball when it's moving around."
Discussing the importance of adaptability, Pollard added, "If the conditions are not suitable for a certain amount of shot making, having that discipline in order to be there for a period of time and they'll get into your work."
He stressed the fine balance between curbing the attacking instinct and maintaining a positive mindset, considering the evolving nature of the sport in terms of scoring rates.
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