Kieron Pollard named captain of MI franchise for upcoming season

Ahead of the upcoming ILT20 season, MI Emirates have appointed former West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard, who has long been associated with the Mumbai Indians franchise, as their new captain. The all-rounder replaces Nicholas Pooran, who led the side last season, as skipper for the fourth edition.

The fourth season of the tournament will be played from December 2 to January 4, with matches taking place across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah. Earlier in October, the league held its first-ever player auction, where Andre Fletcher became the most expensive buy after MI Emirates secured him for $260,000.

MI Emirates Appoint Former West Indies All-Rounder Kieron Pollard as Captain

MI Emirates announced that Kieron Pollard will lead the team in the fourth ILT20 season. The franchise said that his power-hitting, smart bowling, strong fielding, and leadership skills would greatly help the team.

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"We have news! Kieron Pollard, the Blue and Gold icon, is all set to captain MI Emirates in the fourth season of the ILT20," the statement read.

"A part of our winning team of season 2, apart from seven title wins with Mumbai Indians (five IPLs, two CLT20s), and don’t forget, two MLCs (2023 and 2025), he sure knows a thing or two about bringing home titles. We cannot wait for his big sixes, canny bowling, fort-like fielding, and his skipper brain to fight right until the very end to pull matches out of the dead."

"Bring out the drums, sound the bugle, CAPTAIN POLLY HAS TOUCHED DOWN!" the statement concluded.

Kieron Pollard’s Side to Open Their Campaign on December 4

Kieron Pollard is one of the most successful players in T20 cricket. He has secured a record 18 titles across tournaments like the IPL, Champions League T20, MLC, and ILT20. His explosive batting and strong leadership continue to make him a key player in global T20 leagues.

MI Emirates will soon start their pre-season preparations for the fourth ILT20 season. The league will feature six teams and a total of 34 matches.

MI Emirates open their campaign on December 4 against the Gulf Giants. With Pollard’s experience and Nicholas Pooran’s firepower, the franchise is once again considered one of the favourites to win the title. They won the championship in the 2024 season under Pooran’s captaincy.

Nicholas Pooran May Not Be Available for the Entire Duration of MI Emirates’ Campaign

MI Emirates have built a strong West Indian core for the upcoming ILT20 season. Along with Nicholas Pooran and new captain Kieron Pollard, the squad also has Andre Fletcher, the costliest buy at the ILT20 auction, as well as youngsters Ackeem Auguste and Romario Shepherd.

However, the franchise may face an availability issue with Pooran. The final phase of the ILT20 season is expected to clash with the opening week of South Africa’s SA20 league, where Pooran represents MI Cape Town. He might miss the closing stages of MI Emirates’ campaign.

The team has also added several new players through the auction, including Muhammad Rohid, Jordan Thompson, Naveen-ul-Haq, Nosthush Kenjige, Mohamed Shafeeq, Zain Ul Abidin, Usman Khan, Arab Gul, Tajinder Dhillon, Zahoor Khan, and Shakib Al Hasan.

They retained players like Fazalhaq Farooqi, Tom Banton, Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow, AM Ghazanfar, Muhammad Waseem, Kamindu Mendis, and Romario Shepherd.

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