Will Mumbai Indians release Kieron Pollard? Cricket experts opens up - Check

Rohit Sharma`s side reteained Pollard last year ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.

Indian Premier League franchises will have to submit its list of retained players by November 15th, 2022. The 16th edition of the IPL will see the 10 participating teams undergo preparations in full swing in order to make their squad as ready as possible before the mini-auction on December 23rd, 2022, in Kochi. While there are some franchises who have already traded players, it will be interesting to see if the teams retain some of the old names which have been in the squad for years. Moreover, each team has been granted an increase in their spending power with a sum of Rs. 5 crore being added to their purse, making the pursue value 95 crore for the mini-auction.

Speaking exclusively on Star Sports show ‘Game Plan – IPL Retention Special’, former Team India spinner Harbhajan Singh spoke on whether Mumbai Indians should retain Kieron Pollard, he said “Well, I think it's going to be very difficult for Mumbai Indians to release Kieron Pollard. He's been there for many years. But yes, there are times when you have to take few tough calls and maybe this is the time. They have to move forward and make a team for the next 4-5 years and try to find someone who can do what Pollard has done over the years. Yes, they have Tim David, who can do a similar sort of job and of course, there is another Australian in the auction that is Cameroon Green. I think they will be eyeing him to be part of the Mumbai set-up. Of course, it's going to be a tough call, but at some stage, you have to take those calls.”

Former Team India pacer Irfan Pathan spoke on what strategy Mumbai Indians will deploy if England fast-bowler Jofra Archer isn’t available for selection again, he said “I think they still need to look for a death bowler. It's very important, because Jofra Archer’s coming back from injury. Jasprit Bumrah is also coming back from injury. Last year, what I felt from their bowling department, with Jofra not being there, they really did not have that sharpness in their bowling, especially in the death overs. They kept going with Basil Thampi and Jaydev Unadkat as well, so definitely, even if Jofra and Jasprit Bumrah come back, they still need someone at the back end at least for the sake of a replacement. If something goes wrong between Bumrah and Archer, they need someone who can bowl at the death. So, I really think they'll be looking at that as well.”

Former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody spoke on whether it would be wise for Sunrisers Hyderabad to retain Kane Williamson, he said “It's an interesting one for Sunrisers, because when you commit at the beginning of a big auction to retain a player of the calibre of Kane Williamson at 14 crores, you would think that they are thinking about the long term. They're thinking about the bigger picture. But clearly, he's had a disastrous campaign in the last four months in T20 cricket, certainty not up to his standards. We know his quality as a leader. He's a highly respected leader in the IPL and globally. So, it just depends on how much weight they put on that leadership. So, whether they release him or not, to me 14 crores is a lot of money for any player, let alone a player that I suppose brings to the table the runs from a batting perspective.”