Addressing the media in the pre-match press conference, Pollard dismissed the concerns regarding Jaques’ fitness, saying that the team management has not been informed of any such issue. He also emphasized the depth of MI’s squad, suggesting that the team is well-equipped even in Jacques’ temporary absence.
“We’re expecting Will Jacques very soon. As you pointed out, the fitness issues, as far as I know, I don’t know anything about that. We’re a team of 20-plus members. And right now, he’s not here. But we’ll be here soon,” Pollard said.
Backing the Englishman to deliver on his return, Pollard highlighted Jacques’ ability to contribute in all areas.
“And hopefully when he’s here too, his economy will be low, he’ll get wickets, and he’ll just score runs for you,” he added.
Pollard also threw his support behind Jasprit Bumrah, who faced scrutiny after his quiet dismissal against Rajasthan Royals. He pointed out that the changing nature of T20 cricket places more emphasis on control than just taking wickets.
“When you look at T20 cricket now, the way it’s going, you can’t really think too much about wickets. If you look at the game now, the powerplay has gone for 100-plus runs. So, again, the best form of attack is also defence. And, you know, we’re not seeing much of Jasprit’s nature as a bowler without a wicket. Again, you know, for Mumbai Indians and, when wickets When the time comes, he will get wickets, and he is economical, we will accept that too.
Looking ahead to the encounter against RCB, Pollard stressed that every IPL fixture has equal importance, with a strong focus on getting points rather than fixing the strengths of the opposition.
“In terms of RCB, for me, I think it’s the IPL. All the matches are spicy. All the matches are what you wait for. Because the important thing is two points in the game. So for us, we don’t look too much at the opposition. We just try to come out and play as much good cricket as possible. And hopefully the result will come out at the end, you know,” he added.
Pollard also paid tribute to Rohit Sharma, who recently completed 15 years with the franchise, calling the milestone a rare feat in modern cricket.
“Rohit Sharma, yes, celebrating 15 years as a Mumbai Indians player, you know, that’s an achievement, you know, for him, or for anybody. Two, being a franchise for 15 years, not many people can say that. Fortunately, I can say that. But he’s been a great leader for us over time, you know. You, keep it up for him and we’ll continue to reap the rewards of his success and Like I said, we’re happy to have him in our dressing room.
