After a successful Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign, where he captained the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) to the title, the West Indies skipper is currently preparing for a tenth IPL season with Mumbai Indians.
With 2755 runs and a healthy strike rate of 146.8, displays of Pollards awesome hitting powerful have been plentiful in the IPL. Hogg, however, got a firsthand demonstration, while playing for the Rajasthan Royal in 2012.
“It was game 12 in the IPL 2012 and we were playing the Mumbai Indians in the Wankhede Stadium. Rayudu and Pollard had been building a partnership and I had been brought into the attack. I was concerned about Pollard’s big muscles and the power with which he hits straight down the ground,” Hogg recalled on his Podcast.
“I didn’t want to overpitch because I wanted to preserve my body. So, I just wanted to bowl back of a length and use the wrong-un to beat the outside edge. Well, I was a little too short and he pulled me through midwicket for four,” he added.
So, I’m going, get those courage pills, go fuller with the wrong-un because you know he is susceptible to it. So, I did, came in a little fuller, a little overpitched, and Kieron Pollard absolutely loved it. He got on top of it and smashed it straight back down the ground head height down the wicket. Instead of coming to me, it went to his mate Rayudu who was backing up. He’s put his bat up to preserve his body. It’s come off the bat, I’m there backtracking because I’m afraid of the power of this shot. The ball just drops right in front of me, I could have caught it.”
Pollard went on to make a half-century as Mumbai won the game.
The 42-year-old has been one of the tournament’s most successful and recognisable players since first appearing at the tournament in 2009. The batsman, however, struggled to find his way last season while representing the Punjab Kings, managing just 193 runs from 10 games.
In addition, the batsman also made the headline after being surprisingly dropped on his birthday and eventually left the tournament early. In the previous season, Gayle eventually scored an impressive 288 in 7 games but was left out of the team for the first 6 matches.
“For the last couple of years, the way the IPL went about, I felt like I wasn’t treated properly. So I thought ‘okay, you (Gayle) didn’t get the respect you deserved after you did so much for the sport and IPL,” Gayle told The Mirror UK.
“So, I said ‘okay, that’s it, I’m not going to bother to enter the draft,’ so I left it as it is. There is always going to be life after cricket so I’m just trying to adapt to normality,” he added.
Much like his international career, however, Gayle does not believe his tenure in the IPL is over and claims he could return next season.
“Next year I’m coming back, they need me! I’ve represented three teams in the IPL, Kolkata, RCB, and Punjab. Between RCB and Punjab, I would love to get a title, with one of those two teams. I had a great stint with RCB where I was more successful within the IPL and Punjab, they’ve been good. I love to explore and I love challenges so let’s see what happens,” the 42-year-old said.
In the 17th over of CSK’s successful chase of KKR’s 171-6, Russell completed an athletic save on the midwicket boundary and appeared to have injured himself.
"He said he felt something pop in his leg, his hamstring. We've got the best medical staff in the business so they'll tend to him and hopefully, it's nothing too serious, because he's a key part of our team,” said team mentor David Hussey afterwards.
“He's been playing very, very nicely with the bat, the ball, and in the field. So hopefully nothing too serious and he can come back and light the competition up like we know Andre Russell can do."
The severity of the injury is yet to be determined but Cricket West Indies will be hoping for the best as Russell has been named in the West Indies squad for the ICC T20 World Cup set for next month. The West Indies begin the defence of their title on October 23.
Russell has suffered from a raft of injuries over the past few seasons and underwent knee surgery following the West Indies disastrous ICC ODI World Cup in England in June 2019.
At the ages of 40 and 36, the players are in the twilight of their careers and currently on the fringes of the West Indies squad looking to prepare for the upcoming tournament. Lara is, however, convinced that a successful IPL campaign could put the players back in the mind of the selectors. The tournament, the former batting star insists, will not only test their current form but also their longevity by providing a grueling schedule. The near one-month tournament could see teams play as many as 17 matches, with a minimum of 14 during the short period.
“I think the IPL is going to be a huge point or signal for who is actually going to carry on. It’s still going to be five months after the IPL for the World Cup,”
Lara said in a recent interview with bdcrictime.
“Fitness levels are very important, but a gruesome tournament like the IPL is going to tell the West Indies selectors who are the players that they really need going into the last four months of preparation for the World Cup,” he added.
The 52-year-old Trinidadian has been named the strategic advisor and batting coach for Sunrisers that have also hired South Africa’s Dale Steyn as their pace bowling coach.
“Humbled by @sunriserhyd faith in me. This appointment as strategic advisor and batting coach gives me the opportunity to do a job I have always yearned to do, and that’s to pass on what I know about our wonderful game of cricket to its future stars,” Lara said on Instagram.
“I look forward to the challenge with the same energy and zeal as my playing days.
Tom Moody will now be the head coach, replacing Trevor Bayliss.
Lara and company will have their hands full in attempting to turn the franchise’s fortunes around.
Last season under Bayliss, Sunrisers Hyderbad won just three of their 14 matches in the group stage of the competition and hence failed to make the playoffs.
The franchise had made it to the IPL playoffs in each of the five previous seasons.
During his playing career, Lara was considered one of the best batsmen of all time. In 131 Tests for the West Indies, he scored 11953 runs at an average of 52.88. Among his 34 Test centuries, he has scores of 375 and 400 not out, the latter being the world record for the highest individual score in Test innings.
The Titans, after being put in to bat by the Super Kings, made an imposing 214-4 off their 20 overs.
Sai Sudharsan made an extremely composed 47-ball 96 for the Titans including eight fours and six sixes while Wriddhiman Saha made 54 off 39 balls earlier.
A prolonged rain-delay with CSK 4-0 after just three balls meant that, upon the return, they needed a revised target of 171 in 15 overs.
CSK’s formidable opening pair of Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad continued their excellent form this season, putting on 74 for the first wicket before Gaikwad went for a 16-ball 26. Conway, who top scored for the Super Kings went, soon after, for a 25-ball 47.
In the end, an unbeaten 22-run partnership between Shivam Dube (32*) and Ravindra Jadeja (15*) handed Chennai their fifth IPL title, putting them alongside the Mumbai Indians at the top of the pile.
The match came down to the last two deliveries, with Jadeja facing pacer Mohit Sharma needing 10 to win.
He hit the fifth ball of the final over for a straight six before clipping the final ball down to the fine leg boundary to secure the win.
Sharma tried his best with the ball, taking 3-36 from his three overs while Noor Ahmad took 2-17 from his three.
In what will be his first stint in the IPL, the 34-year-old Charles joins KKR as a replacement for Litton Das, who departs to represent Bangladesh in a three-match ODI series against Ireland from May 9-14. He was contracted by KKR at a cost of USD$60,000.
Charles returned to the West Indies set up in October 2022 after a six-year absence from the team. In March 2023, he exploded scoring a 39-ball ton against South Africa and is expected to provide some stability to the KKR line-up that has struggled this season. KKR with only three wins from their nine matches so far this season are currently eighth in the 10-team league.
He will team up with former West Indies players Andre Russell and Sunil Narine in the KKR line-up
Kings XI finished a disappointing 6th place in the final IPL standings, after missing out on a spot in the playoffs. A good portion of the team’s season had, however, focused on a five-game winning streak, which had put them in unlikely contention for the final four after a 1-7 start.
The man at the centre of the winning streak, Gayle, had spent the early days of the competition sitting on the bench, while Australian Glenn Maxwell, who had huge expectations placed on him heading into the season, continued to disappoint.
He wasn’t alone, however, as Gayle’s international teammate Cottrell also failed to live up to expectations after commanding a whopping INR 8.5 crore ($US1,156,239) at the auction. In the end, Cottrell ended the competition with six wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 8.80. Chopra believes, ahead of the next campaign, several changes should be considered
"Kings XI Punjab have a reasonable need of a mega auction because they need changes. They have to do something for the fast bowling unit because it will not work out with the ones they have," Chopra said in his review of the season.
"They should leave out Sheldon Cottrell, they should leave Hardus Viljoen also if they are not playing him, and they should leave Maxwell as well," Chopra added.
"They can keep Gayle if he wants to play although he is 41-years old. But the IPL is just a few months away and he was not expensive as well. So they can keep him as he is an X-factor and an intimidating factor," Chopra continued.
The pundit, however, believed the team would have to weigh its options more carefully if there is an IPL mega auction next year, in which case retaining Gayle may not be a good idea.
Pollard, whose team the Mumbai Indians won the league for a record fifth time, was voted the Super Striker of the Season Award.
The powerful Trinidadian, batting down the order for the 2020 champions, scored 268 runs at an incredible average of incredible average of 53.60 and at a phenomenal strike rate of 191.42. Among those 268 runs were 15 fours and 22 majestic sixes.
The Barbados-born Archer, who now represents England, was the tournament MVP.
He proved to be a valuable member of the Rajasthan Royals for whom he took 20 wickets at an economy rate of 6.55, the best in the league. He produced his best bowling against the Delhi Capitals on October 14 when he returned figures of 3 for 19 from his allotment of four overs.
He was also productive with the bat scoring 113 runs that included a top score of 27. Even more impressive was his strike rate of 179.36, second only to Pollard during the tournament and smashed five fours and 10 massive sixes.
The other major awards went to KL Rahul of the Kings XI Punjab, who won the Orange Cap having scored a league-leading 670 runs. He was also named Game Changer of the Season.
Kagiso Rabada of the first-time finalists Delhi Capitals was awarded the Purple Cap for his 30 wickets during the competition.
Devdutt Padikkal of the Royal Challengers Bangalore was named Emerging Player of the Season.
Ishan Kishan of the Mumbai Indians hit the most sixes, 30, during the season while his teammate Trent Boullt was the Powerplayer of the Season.
Boullt took 25 wickets during the season.
The 31-year-old pace bowler was bought for a sizeable INR 8.5 crore ($US1,156,239) during the IPL 2020 auction but failed to justify the price tag. In six matches, Cottrell bowled 20 overs, claiming 6 wickets for 176 runs at an expensive economy rate of 8.80. Unfortunately, perhaps the player's biggest moment came after being on the wrong side of thrashing from Rajasthan Royals Rahul Tewatia, who smashed 5 sixes off one of his overs during a record run chase.
Gayle, on the other hand, was sensational. Despite starting the season on the sidelines, the big left-hander became the driving force behind the team's push for a playoff spot, although it ended with the team narrowly missing out on 6th spot. The West Indian had been left on the bench for the first seven games of the season. He was not picked for the first five, and food poisoning ruled him out for the next two. He ended with 288 runs at an average of 44.14 and a high score of 99.
India batsman Karun Nair is also expected to be released but the team remains undecided on Australian Glenn Maxwell, who had a mediocre IPL season but had a splendid series against India.
The 32-years-old West Indies bowler does indeed face the threat of suspension after being reported for a suspect action during KKR’s victory over Kings XI Punjab last week. The spinner is allowed to continue bowling, for now, but another report to the Indian Premier League (IPL) would see Narine suspended until cleared by the BCCI Suspect Bowling Action Committee.
Narine had performed heroics for KKR after defending 14 runs off the final over, to help his team register a stunning 2 runs victory over KXIP. Despite that, however, Pietersen insists the bowler has not quite been at the same level since his last suspension. Narine was previously suspended in 2015 when he was ranked No. 2 on the ODI and T20 rankings. His action was reported as suspect in successive matches during the Champions League Twenty20. It resulted in his missing out on playing in the final for Kolkata Knight Riders, who lost to Chennai Super Kings.
“If I am honest, I am not so sure it (Sunil Narine absence) is a massive loss. Andre Russell is the guy you spend time talking about in team meetings. When he bowls, you are thinking about it. When he bats, you are thinking about it. It is the same when he is fielding,” Pietersen said on Star Sports.
“Sunil Narine has not been the same bowler for a few years now. He hasn’t had his best; he hasn’t had his real big spin. Coming to Sharjah, it is not something you are really worried about Sunil Narine. And then the bowlers have found him out in his batting. You bowl him short, he doesn’t like it,” Pietersen added.
“When Dre comes off, he wins games. When he’s on, he’s the very best in the world at what he does and we hope to see a little bit more of it,” McCullum said during an interview with ESPNCricinfo.
The 33-year-old Jamaican so far has 106 runs in three matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League including a match-winning 70 not out off just 31 balls in their second match against the Punjab Kings.
In typical Russell fashion, that blistering knock included just two fours and eight towering sixes.
“He’s got a heavy bat and he swings it. Once the ball is in his area, he connects and it just keeps sailing over the boundary. He does work extremely hard in the nets and he practices all his skills,” said KKR assistant coach and former Australia batsman David Hussey.
“The best thing about Dre is that no matter what the situation is in the game, we’re 10-5 or 150-2, he’s going to play the same way and his whole goal is to entertain. Once he hits the ball it generally stays hit,” Hussey added.
Russel’s Kolkata Knight Riders are currently top of the table with three wins in four matches and will next take the field against the Delhi Capitals on April 10.
Russell injured himself during the second over of the KXIP run chase, while trying to prevent a boundary. He attempted a sliding dive but failed to stop the ball and then crashed into into an advertisement board.
He was later seen icing the knee and eventually returned to the field in the eleventh over only to leave the field for good shortly thereafter.
Speaking after the game, KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik expressed concern over Russell, whom he described as a very special player.
“Whenever Russell gets injured, you know it is hard. He is a very special player, he is a very special person. We need to go and look at him,” Karthik said clearly concerned over whether Russell would be fit enough to start their next game on Monday when KKR plays the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Dre Russ has struggled with the bat so far this season, scoring on 55 runs this season with a high score of 24. He has been carrying an issue with his knee since playing for the Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL held earlier this year.
Narine ended with 2 wickets for 28 runs as KKR defended a par score of 164 to register their second win in a row and climb up to third position on the points table. The bowler artfully defended 14 runs off the final over to help his team stun KXIP by 2 runs. Following the match, however, an IPL release confirmed that the player’s bowling action was once again under scrutiny.
"Sunil Narine, the Kolkata Knight Riders player, has been reported for bowling with a Suspected Illegal Bowling Action during his side’s Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 match against Kings XI Punjab at Abu Dhabi,” the release stated.
"The report was made by the on-field umpires according to the IPL’s Suspected Illegal Bowling Action Policy. Mr. Narine will be placed on the Warning List and is permitted to continue to bowl in the tournament,” it continued.
"Another report will result in Mr. Narine being suspended from bowling in the Dream11 IPL 2020 until cleared by the BCCI Suspect Bowling Action Committee."
Narine's bowling action was previously reported for the same offense in 2015 and was banned from bowling off-spinners in that season and even missed the 50-over World Cup for the West Indies to work on his action.
The bit-hitting all-rounder was forced to leave the field after making a good save on the mid-wicket boundary and jumped himself off the field as soon as he threw back the ball. The 33-year-old did not feature for the team against the Dehli Capitals, or Friday’s encounter against the Punjab Kings XI.
Despite Russell missing the second game in a row, Morgan did not shed any more light on the player’s current injury status.
“Lockie and Russell are being monitored day by day. They have to rehab extremely well in order to be fit,” Morgan said.
Earlier, David Hussey, KKR’s team mentor, had described Russell’s injury as a hamstring injury but expressed hope that the player could return to the line-up soon,
“He said he felt something pop in his leg, his hamstring. We’ve got the best medical staff in the business so they’ll tend to him and hopefully, it’s nothing too serious, because he’s a key part of our team,” Hussey said.
In addition to the Knight Riders, the West Indies will also be closely monitoring the situation, with the player expected to line up for the World T20 later this month.
According to RevSportz reports, the defending champions are keen to retain four players for the 2025 season- Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy and captain Shreyas Iyer, although his status is uncertain.
Harshit Rana, recently selected in the India squad for the first time, will be retained in the uncapped category.
The news that Russell is leaving the franchise is shocking. The 36-year-old has been a match-winner for the franchise over the last 11 years and was one of the top performers in the title-winning season in IPL 2024.
KKR also appointed Dwayne Bravo as a mentor after Gautam Gambhir left the team to become India’s coach.
Bravo is the most successful player in the history of the shortest format and did wonders with Afghanistan in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
He was part of the coaching setup, and the team made it to the semi-final. He is expected to have a similar impact in the new edition of the tournament.
Over the past decade or so several West Indies players have dropped their ambitions of representing the West Indies at Test cricket for the IPL where they have earned millions of dollars. In more recent times, South Africa has been facing similar challenges.
Reports indicate that the Proteas could lose all their front line bowlers for the upcoming Tests against Bangladesh, increasing the prospect of Cricket South Africa fielding a much-weakened team for the series.
The situation has irked Lara, who played 131 Tests for the West Indies during which he scored 11,953 runs at a healthy average of 52.9. The Trinidadian believes a player’s country should take precedent.
“Playing for the country should come first,” said Lara, who is the strategic advisor and batting coach of the Indian Premier League franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad.
He was speaking during an interview with Sportstar when he also said Test cricket also provides chances for players to make a good living for players.
“Because I played for the West Indies, other opportunities opened up for me. It’s disappointing to see young cricketers leaving Test cricket. The ICC should come up with a rule stating a cricketer must play a certain number of games for his country before he can play in the Twenty20 leagues. Something needs to be done.”
Despite Pooran's unbeaten 64 and Rahul's composed 58, Lucknow Super Giants were unable to chase down the imposing target of 194 set by Rajasthan Royals. Sanju Samson's brilliant innings of 82 not out from 52 balls laid the foundation for Rajasthan's victory, propelling them to a commanding total of 193 for 4.
Lucknow Super Giants faced an uphill battle early in their innings as they were reduced to 11 for 3 within the first four overs, courtesy of Trent Boult and Nandre Burger's fiery spells. However, Rahul and Pooran resurrected the innings with a fifth-wicket partnership of 85 runs from 52 balls, keeping their team in the hunt.
Despite their valiant efforts, Lucknow Super Giants found themselves needing 38 runs from the final two overs. Sandeep Sharma's tight bowling in the penultimate over restricted Pooran's big-hitting, leaving too much for Lucknow to achieve in the final over. Avesh Khan closed out the contest comfortably for Rajasthan Royals, sealing their victory.
Sanju Samson's exceptional knock for Rajasthan Royals was the standout performance of the match, anchoring their innings with a blend of finesse and power. His unbeaten 82 provided the necessary impetus for Rajasthan's formidable total, setting the stage for their bowlers to defend the target.
Despite the loss, KL Rahul's return from injury showcased his class and resilience, offering a glimmer of hope for Lucknow Super Giants. His innings of 58 played a crucial role in keeping his team's chase alive, but ultimately, they fell short of the target set by Rajasthan Royals.
Nicholas Pooran's unbeaten 64 was another highlight for Lucknow Super Giants, as he displayed his ability to accelerate the scoring rate under pressure. However, his efforts were in vain as Lucknow Super Giants succumbed to Rajasthan Royals' bowling attack.
Much-like compatriot and fellow power-hitter Chris Gayle was last year, Pollard was left out of the line-up on his 35th birthday. Instead, the team opted to go with South Africa big-hitter Tristan Stubbs on debut.
Despite it being a special day for the West Indian, few could have disagreed with the decision considering the player’s recent form. In 11 IPL matches so far, the big West Indian has scored just 144 runs at an average of 14.40 and with a strike rate of 107.46. The ball-striking tally is the player’s lowest since he made his debut in the IPL in 2010.
In explaining the decision, Sharma insisted the team, which is currently bottom of the IPL, has begun to contemplate its future.
"Keeping an eye on the future, Pollard is out and Stubbs is in. He (Pollard) was the one who came up to us and he was ready for it,” Rohit told Star Sport.
“We want to try out a few players, got to see what they have to offer.”
The Trinidadian who is a key player for the Kolkata Knight Riders had been placed on the warning list following their match against KingsXIPunjab on October 10. He was reported by onfield umpires Ulhas Gandhe and Chris Gaffaney in relation to a delivery he delivered during the last over of the match that KKR won by two runs.
However, in a statement on Sunday the IPL said Narine’s action had been assessed by the IPL Suspect Bowling Action Committee and it was determined that the mystery bowler was within the prescribed limits.
"The Committee carefully reviewed all the deliveries of action footage sent of Mr Narine with the naked eye and has come to the conclusion that the elbow-bend appears to be within the range of permissible limits," the IPL statement said.
Cricket West Indies had said that they had planned to monitor Narine's progress as the player is being considered for West Indies selection.
