Kieron Pollard and Mumbai Indians are two inseparable words. When one think about Mumbai Indians, Pollard is certainly one of the first few people anyone remembers. He is the heartthrob of the Mumbai Indians, and has had a lion's share in the franchise's enormous success overs the years in the most popular franchise league in cricketing world. He came as an amateur young talented batter, and ended up being one of the MI legends, who still continues to serve the franchise in every possible way. The story of the big man and Mumbai is truly heart-warming for every person who watches this beautiful game.

Who knew back then in Trinidad, that their own son would go on to be one of the most loved cricketers of all times. If time machine was invented and one went to him in the end of 90's, he would himself not believe to see what future holds for him. His life full of struggles in initial days was full of financial crisis and hardwork. With the crisis, and with the crime in Trinidad, it was very easy for him to join any local Trini gangs. But gladly he chose the difficult road of the game which he loved from his heart. He had two options, either to be a gangster or be a cricketer, and he chose to be the gangster of cricket.

His performance peaked as the he utilized the strength he generated through the hard work, while playing cricket. Gradually he scaled up, and his long and effortless sixes started to grab headlines. After representing U-19 for West Indies and then the senior team, it was actually the franchise cricket which saw his true potential. His fireworks and top notch performance in Champions League 2009 and Big Bash, grabbed many eyeballs. And the same saw IPL franchise heavily bid for him in the 2010 IPL. After rigorous bidding, finally Mumbai Indians won the silent breaker to fetch him, which marked the beginning of a never ending love story.

Then onwards the big man became an integral part of the Men in Blue and Gold. Making his debut for the franchise in 2010, he instantly showed promise right in the first season. His semi-final heroics helped the team reach in the final where they unfortunately lost. But he made sure that his heroics now helped the team going ahead. When Mumbai Indians was yet to win a trophy, in 2013 they got a chance to avenge the 2010 defeat against the same team. And when every team member struggled with the bat, and with team reeling back on 52-4, Pollard was the lone warrior for the team with his sensational knock of 32 ball 60 runs. With his last 2 ball sixes, he took the team total to a decent 148, from where it looked whether the team would cross 120 or not. His heroics helped MI, as they went on to win their first ever title.

And then onwards, the team didn't look back. Winning the 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, the franchise went on to become the most successful team of IPL history. And one man who had contributed in all the crucial matches in all the seasons was still Kieron Pollard. In every edition of the IPL, he performed when it mattered the most. At times he was lethargic to perform against small teams, but he always kept his best performance reserved for the toughest teams. Which is why, one saw his best coming against Chennai Super Kings. He had a special affinity for the men in yellow and on every single occasion against them, he unleashed his true potential.

He contributed to the squad in every possible way. His strong effortless sixes took the opposition on backfoot. His clever work with the ball helped the team get crucial breakthroughs, and his phenomenal fielding saw him take impossible looking blinders turning the fate of match towards Mumbai Indians. Not a single match went by when his contribution from either of the departments didn't come for the team. When he faltered with bat, he ensured that he is bowling well and saving 20 runs with his fielding. On days when he gave away too many runs, he overcompensated by hitting tons of sixes. And there were days when he did both together. In a nutshell not many would understand that his contribution was the true reason for the team's success as he was one player who was fulfilling the requirements of 3.

Which is why today Mumbai Indians heavily miss his on field services. While serving the franchise for 13 long years from 2010 to 2022, he made the franchise one of the most successful one in franchise league history. And when due to his increasing age, the team decided not to retain him for 2023 IPL, he decided not to go for the auction as there was a chance that in the auction some other franchise might've picked him. But the big man with a big heart said that if he doesn't play for Mumbai, he doesn't want to play against them either. The statement by Pollard is still in the hearts of all the Mumbai Indians fans and shows how much he loves, respects and adores the franchise which he took to new heights.

The same reason one now sees Kieron Pollard still in the Mumbai dugout, as a batting coach of Mumbai Indians. But apart from Mumbai Indians main team, he still continues to be an active part of the team's success as he leads the MI New York and MI Emirates in MLC and ILT20 respectively, and his leadership has fetched the MI franchise these two titles as well. Be it on the field or off the field, this man is truly contributing to Mumbai in every possible way even now. And as a Mumbai Indians forever fan, this sight is truly pleasing to the eyes. With his success for franchise, he gives joy to all their fans like me, and with his on field entertainment, he has always given joy to all the cricket lovers globally.

The franchise has seen him turn from a talented boy, to a man who is now termed as a legend. And rightly so, just like he was blessed to be a part of MI, the franchise is fortunate to have him by their side through the thick and thin. It's a blessing to have the T20 World Champion, and the man to hit 6 sixes in one over, to be in Mumbai Indians. Whenever one speaks about MI, one would also highly speak about Kieron Pollard the same way one speaks about Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma for MI. One of the best hard hitters in T20, one of the best fielders of all time, a crucial contributer with the ball and a true entertainer, Kieron Pollard has been a boon for Mumbai Indians. And whether he knows or not, he is one of the reasons for the fans smiling from their hearts. And today on his birthday, we would like to thank him for making our life with sweet memories of his achievements. We pray to God that all his wishes come true and that he continues to inspire. Happy birthday Polly.

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