'That's a phenomental knock': Pollard

MI’s Suryakumar Yadav slams one during his 51-ball 102 not out against SRH at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. Pic/Atul Kamble; (Inset) Kieron Pollard

Thanks to big-hitter Suryakumar Yadav, five-time IPL champs Mumbai Indians (MI) managed to end their four-match losing streak, beating Sunrisers (SRH) by seven wickets at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday night.

Chasing SRH 173-8, MI lost their top three batters - opener Ishan Kishan (9), former captain Rohit Sharma (4) and one-drop Naman Dhir (0) with the score reading 31-3 in 4.1 overs. The ball was moving a bit when Suryakumar came to the crease and the attacking batter did well to begin cautiously before going on to unleash his aggression en route a 51-ball 102 not out with the help of a dozen fours and six sixes. It's this controlled approach that drew praise from MI batting coach Kieron Pollard.

Disciplined approach

"It was a phenomenal knock. He [Suryakumar] played the situation just about perfectly when he went in. It was a tricky situation, where the ball was nipping around and moving around a bit. He got beaten a few times, but held his nerve, and that's the sort of discipline we ask for", Pollard said at the post-match press conference.

"Then, he [Suryakumar] got into his work, manoeuvring the field, placing it into the gaps and counter-attacking. But it's no surprise for us, that's how he practices and plays. And when he scores, and he scores big, you often come out on the winning side," added Pollard.

No. 4 Suryakumar and No. 5 Tilak Varma (32-ball 37 not out, 6x4) stitched an unbeaten 143-run stand off 79 balls to see MI home comfortably in 17.2 overs.

Also Read: IPL 2024 Playoffs: Can Mumbai Indians still make it to top four after KKR loss?

‘Tough to curb attacking instinct'

Pollard admitted that as a batting coach it's tough to expect someone like Suryakumar to curb his attacking instinct. "He's [Suryakumar] someone, who, by nature, instinctively, is very aggressive. He wants to take the bowlers on more often than not. But at times, it's just a matter of understanding the situation and respecting the new ball when it's moving around. If the conditions are not suitable for a certain amount of shot making, have that discipline in order to be there for a period of time and then get to your work. I think that's the hardest thing - to try to curb the attacking instinct," added Pollard.

102'
Off just 51 balls

12
No. of fours

Six
No. of sixes

200
Strike-rate