Former West Indies captain and Mumbai Indians legend Kieron Pollard called time on his IPL career ahead of the IPL 2023 auction on November 15. It was the day of the deadline for franchises to submit the list of players released and retained to the BCCI and IPL.
Ahead of the announcement, Kieron Pollard took to social media and revealed that he has decided to retire from IPL after talks with the MI team management and was released from the franchise, but he joined the MI team back as their batting coach.
"It hasn't been the easiest decision to make as I will keep playing for a few more years, but I understand that this incredible franchise which has achieved so much needs to transition and if I'm no longer to play for MI then I cannot see myself playing against MI either," Pollard said in a statement on Tuesday morning.
IPL 2023: List of retained and released players for all 10 teams
Having joined the franchise in 2010, Pollard captained the MI team in nine games across seasons. He was retained by the franchise for INR 6 crore last season in which batting returns were very meager - just 144 runs in 11 games.
In the aftermath, a host of Mumbai Indian players and former teammates of Kieron Pollard took to social media and paid rich tribute to the Trinidadian dubbing him as a ‘MI Legend’.
Rohit Sharma shared a photo with Pollard on Instagram with a caption reading: “Big man, big impact and always played with heart. A true MI legend”
MI legend Sachin Tendulkar posted on Twitter: “At @mipaltan there is never a goodbye, Polly. Congratulations on becoming the new batting coach for the MI franchise. Your presence will be a big influence for all the boys in the dugout.”
Here are some of the other tributes to Pollard by former MI players:
