\u201cIt\u2019s been a season of what-ifs,\u201d said Kieron Pollard, Mumbai Indians\u2019 batting coach, after the franchise\u2019s final match ended in another let-down\u2014an IPL 2026 loss to Rajasthan Royals that left MI finishing ninth.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Pollard reflected on the many moments that slipped away. \u201cIf this had happened, if we had done that, if we had played this one, if we had batted\u2014there\u2019s a bit of that,\u201d he said. \u201cOverall, it has been disappointing for all of us. There\u2019s no hiding from it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that Mumbai were unable to build momentum and string results together. \u201cWe weren\u2019t good the entire tournament,\u201d Pollard said. \u201cWe weren\u2019t able to sort of string together wins and use the momentum when we got it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pollard stressed that the time for detailed analysis would come later, once the emotions settle. \u201cBut it\u2019s not yet time to discuss specifics and point to shortcomings,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now is not the time and place to talk about that [post mortem],\u201d Pollard explained. \u201cThese things become emotional decisions\u2014thinking through every aspect of what\u2019s needed. Everyone needs time and space to go away, recollect, and make a fair assessment of where it went wrong for us. That\u2019s where better decision-making will come from.\u201d<\/p>\n
He cautioned against jumping to conclusions immediately. \u201cIf you sit here right now and say you need to do this, you need to do that, I think that will be irresponsible from a management perspective,\u201d Pollard added.<\/p>\n
When the review does take place, Pollard expects it to be methodical. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be thorough,\u201d he said, as players and staff look inward and evaluate the season\u2019s turning points.<\/p>\n
Pollard also pointed to the pressure of history, noting that MI have not won the championship since 2020. \u201cGuys are going to sit back and actually think about what\u2019s needed,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has been a while that we have won the championship, and that\u2019s something that we have accepted as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n
He described the campaign as another disappointing chapter that must be examined with care. \u201cAnother disappointing campaign adding to what would have transpired before,\u201d Pollard said. \u201cSo deep thinking is going to go into it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two recurring themes during the season centered on Hardik Pandya\u2019s captaincy and Jasprit Bumrah\u2019s dip in wicket-taking impact.<\/p>\n
On captaincy and squad planning, Pollard addressed questions around retentions and releases ahead of the year. \u201cIf we go back 12 months, we finish third [fourth, in IPL 2025],\u201d he said. \u201cThat in itself justifies some of the changes that you would have made before.\u201d<\/p>\n
With MI now ninth, Pollard insisted the focus should not be on second-guessing for the sake of it. \u201cNow, finishing ninth, you\u2019re not wanting to question it,\u201d he said. \u201cI think the inconsistencies are what we need to stay away from\u2014and understand strategically where we need to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n
He defended the intention behind the leadership plan while refusing to assign blame. \u201cFrom a leadership perspective, Hardik, yes, it has not gone maybe as well as he would have wanted as an individual,\u201d Pollard said. \u201cBut one thing we know is that we tried everything to give him the best opportunity to lead the franchise to do well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one is going to sit here and point fingers,\u201d Pollard added. \u201cWhen you lose, you have to look at it from a collective perspective. You win some, you lose some. He was trying, we all were trying, and it just didn\u2019t work out for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bumrah\u2019s season, meanwhile, was his leanest in wicket count since 2015, when he played just four matches and took three wickets. In IPL 2026, his economy rate was strong at 8.37, but he finished with only four wickets.<\/p>\n
Pollard explained the context behind that numbers-driven drop. \u201cTo be honest, he came in with a bit of a niggle after the [T20] World Cup,\u201d he said. \u201cWe tried to manage it. He wasn\u2019t his best self in terms of fitness perspective and all of that\u2014but he was able to come and try to deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pollard then addressed another selection-related question tied to whether Bumrah should have played. \u201cYou\u2019re going to get two points if you played. What\u2019s that going to do for us,\u201d he said. \u201cSometimes you need to understand the player and understand what\u2019s necessary at this point in time.\u201d<\/p>\n
He suggested that, from a selection standpoint, the team believed it wasn\u2019t the right moment to risk Bumrah. \u201cFrom a selection perspective, we didn\u2019t think that today would have been right for him to play,\u201d Pollard said. \u201cWe had other guys on the bench. We have depth in our bowling. We have young guys. Trying something different\u2014I don\u2019t see anything wrong with that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pollard urged against over-reading a single decision, especially with the season already concluded. \u201cLet\u2019s not look too much into that,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is the last game of the season. It\u2019s not that we could have qualified [for the playoffs]. And he\u2019s a prized possession for Indian cricket. So sometimes you have to take the smarter option.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a season of what-ifs,\u201d said Kieron Pollard, Mumbai Indians\u2019 batting coach, after the franchise\u2019s final match ended in another let-down\u2014an IPL 2026 loss…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":12178,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Pollard on MI Loss to Rajasthan Royals, No Blame","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Kieron Pollard reacts to MI\u2019s IPL 2026 ninth-place finish after a loss to Rajasthan Royals, addressing captaincy talk and season \u201cwhat-ifs.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n