Two players have been highlighted by former India spinner Harbhajan Singh as potential replacements for Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. Pollard, who has been with MI from the beginning of his IPL career, retired last year but remains with the club in the role of batting coach, while Pandya was selected by Gujarat Titans as their captain in front of IPL 2022. MI have had trouble finding the ideal mix without Pandya and Pollard, two players who were crucial to the success of the most dominant IPL squad ever.
After two consecutive years of missing the Playoffs, MI reorganized their roster and boosted it by signing a pair of quality all-rounders in order to get their campaign back on track this year. Thus, Harbhajan, who has been involved with MI for a number of seasons, has chosen Tim David and Cameron Green to replace Pollard and Pandya.
Harbhajan Singh picks the replacement of Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya in Mumbai Indians
“Well, they will be successful if Tim David can do the same thing that Pollard was doing and whether Green can do what Hardik was doing. But yes, they do have the potential, but IPL is such a tournament that if you start to get going from day one, you will have a good season. If you don’t get going, and you have to find that rhythm, it gets very difficult,” Harbhajan said on “IPL on Star’ Mumbai Trophy Tour” show.
David and Green, both from Australia, have been huge bargains for MI. After spending 8.25 crore rupees on David in last year’s IPL mega auction, they finally reached the next level. David scored 187 runs in 9 games, including a quickfire 46 off 21 balls against the Gujarat Giants and a quickfire 34 off 11 balls against the Delhi Capitals.
Meanwhile, Green is poised to follow in Pollard’s footsteps. The big-hitting Australian fast-bowling all-rounder was acquired by MI for a staggering 17.5 crore during this year’s IPL auction. His recent heroics against India, including a century in the last Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Ahmedabad, would give MI much cause for optimism.
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