CPL 2021: Kieron Pollard Becomes Second Player After Chris Gayle To Cross 11000 Runs In T20s
West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard reached the 11,000-run mark in T20’s to become only the second player after teammate Chris Gayle to achieve the feat. He crossed the barrier during his knock of 41 for the Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2021).
It comes as no surprise that Gayle tops the list of the highest run-scorers in the T20 format, with a staggering 14,108 runs across the international stage and different leagues around the world. Pollard has now passed the 11k mark, and the third spot is occupied by 39-year-old Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik.
Kieron Pollard breached the barrier in 554 T20’s, with a high score of 104. He averages 31.72, which happens to be his best across formats. He has a healthy strike rate of 152.74 and is one of those rare batsmen who have struck more sixes than fours (741 sixes, 699 fours).
The burly West Indian is no slouch with the ball in hand either. A specialist wicket-taker when playing for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL, Pollard has snared 297 wickets at an economy of 8.20 in T20s. His stats are almost unmatched in the shortest format, arguably making him the greatest all-rounder in T20s.
Trinbago Knight Riders beat St. Lucia Kings on the back of Kieron Pollard’s blazing knock
Batting first, Trinbago was struggling at 68/4 when Pollard joined hands with Tim Seifert in the middle. Things were looking bleak as batting wasn’t easy. Initially, Pollard struggled to find the middle of the bat and the team was moving towards a sub-par total.
However, all it needed for him to loosen up were a couple of boundaries that set him on his way. Seifert played a great role in supporting before taking off himself, and the duo stitched a 78-run partnership which took the game away from the Kings.
A target of 159 wasn’t going to be easy on a pacy and bouncy track. Apart from Andre Fletcher, none of the batsmen got going and Lucia Kings eventually lost the game by 27 runs. For his blazing knock of 41, Pollard was awarded the man of the match.
