Pollard expressed his frustration with people constantly targeting Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya appeared dejected as he walked out to bat with Mumbai Indians requiring a run rate of just under 13. However, by the time he was dismissed, having scored just 2 runs off 6 balls, the required run rate had skyrocketed to almost 17. During the timeout, he joined the MI group, which included head coach Mark Boucher and batting coach Kieron Pollard.

A few hours earlier, Hardik took responsibility for bowling the final over for Mumbai. He gave away 26 runs as MS Dhoni hit three successive sixes, allowing Chennai Super Kings to reach an unlikely total of 206. Despite an unbeaten 105 from Rohit Sharma, this total proved to be enough for Super Kings to secure a 20-run victory.

Pollard expressed his support for MI's under-fire captain Hardik and stated that everyone 'will be singing his praises when the time comes'.

"I am sick and fed up of [us] looking to pinpoint individuals; cricket is a team game at the end of the day. This is an individual who is going to represent the country in less than six weeks, and all are going to cheer him and want him to do well. So high time we try to encourage and stop nitpicking and see if we can get the best out of one of the great all-rounders India has produced. He can bat, bowl and field, and has a X-factor about him.”

Hardik has been subjected to jeers from fans in Ahmedabad (where his former team Gujarat Titans is based) and Hyderabad in their first two games. This treatment has continued in Mumbai's home games. His form this season is a concern.

After returning from an ankle injury sustained during the ODI World Cup last year, he has scored 131 runs at a strike rate of 145.55 and taken three wickets, but with a high economy of 12. During his first stint with Mumbai from 2015 to 2021, Hardik had an average of 27.33 with the bat but struck at 153.91. In his two years with Titans, whom he captained, his average increased to 37.86. He played in the middle order and anchored their innings, while his strike rate decreased to 133.49.