Despite Rohit Sharma's dismal start to the season, Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard has supported the underdog to win the IPL 2025 season. Despite playing a key role in India's Champions Trophy victory, Rohit has struggled at the top and was unable to maintain his momentum into the IPL season. Rohit has amassed 21 runs with a strike-rate of 105 and an average of 7 in the three games he has played thus far. Pollard praised the Indian opener as a game icon and offered commentary on the MI star's play during the pre-match press conference.
Pollard on Rohit
Rohit is doing everything correctly on his own, according to the MI batting coach, who urged everyone not to make snap judgments about him because of a few poor performances. In cricket, a player fails more often than he succeeds, according to Pollard, who also asserted that if Rohit scores a high score, everyone would start praising him.
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"Personally, I've played alongside Rohit since U-19 cricket, and he has fought his way and etched his name in history and in the record books in different situations, different formats of the game. He's a legend of the game in his own right. And as an individual as well, there are times when you have a couple of low scores. He is doing the right things as well as an individual who now enjoys cricket and does not be pressurised in certain situations. So let's not judge on a couple of low scores. In cricket, we know, we fail more than we succeed, and I'm sure we'll be singing out his praises when he comes and he gives us that big score, and then he'll be the next hot topic," said Pollard.
This season, MI's scouting has found two diamonds in Ashwani Kumar and Vignesh Puthur. Pollard stated that Ashwani's four wickets in his debut against KKR demonstrated that every member of the team has a place. But according to Pollard, the team should be balanced.
"There’s a place for everyone. Every superstar today was once a young talent. We need to be mindful of how we portray things—there is a natural cycle in cricket. While young players deserve recognition, we shouldn’t forget the experienced players who have nurtured them. The IPL is great for unearthing new talent every year, and that’s a positive sign for Indian cricket. I can’t speak for other franchises, as I don’t know their scouting processes in detail. However, I can confidently say that MI has been successful in identifying and nurturing talent over the years. There’s a method to our approach, and every IPL season, we aim to bring forward new talent who can contribute in the long run," said Pollard.