'You say it's a Rohit-Kohli show, I look at...': MI coach Kieron Pollard wants focus on superstars of next decade

Sports Tak

Sports Tak

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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the frame (X).
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the frame (X).

Story Highlights:

Pollard shifts focus from Rohit vs Kohli to MI vs RCB, emphasizing team performance over individual battles.

Rohit (118 runs) and Kohli (129 runs) continue to shine in IPL 2026 with impressive strike rates above 160.

The Mumbai Indians will lock horns with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their upcoming IPL 2026 clash on Sunday, April 12 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Hardik Pandya-led side will aim to register their second win of the season when they face the in-form Bengaluru.

Kieron Pollard opens up on Kohli-Rohit showdown

Ahead of the clash against RCB, Mumbai Indians' batting coach Kieron Pollard opened up on the Rohit Sharma vs Virat Kohli showdown, saying that he wants to focus on the bigger picture instead of focusing on the individual battles of the game.

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Pollard believes that batters like Rohit and Virat should enjoy the twilight of their cricketing careers as they are still performing at the biggest stage with consistency and they have every right to cherish certain things in the game.

“You say it’s a Rohit-Kohli show. I look at it as Mumbai Indians versus RCB. Let the individuals enjoy this phase of their careers. They are still performing, they are still doing well. And even if they are not, they deserve the right to decide certain things," said Pollard in the pre-match press conference.

 

 

Pollard further added that he feels extremely happy that experienced guys are still around to guide the youngsters who possess the talent to become superstars in the next 10 to 15 years of time.

"I’m happy that there are experienced guys still around. You need them to guide the younger players coming through, who will be the superstars in the next 10 to 15 years." added Pollard.

 

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Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's fine form in IPL 2026

Both Rohit (38) and Virat (37) have been doing wonders for their respective franchises in the league. Rohit Sharma kicked off the tournament with a stellar knock of 78 runs off 38 balls in MI's season opener against Kolkata Knight Riders. So far after three games, Rohit has managed to amass 118 runs with an average of 39.33 with a great strike rate of 168.57.

On the other hand, Virat Kohli smashed a typical unbeaten 69 off 38 balls (five sixes and five fours) against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opener. After playing three games, Virat Kohli's tally stands at 129 runs at an average of 64.50 with an amazing strike rate of 179.17.