The year was 2014. The rivalry was Mumbai Indians vs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The drama? Well, let’s just say Pollard and Starc turned cricket into an action movie!
It was just another IPL night at the Wankhede… until Mitchell Starc, playing for RCB, decided to spice things up. Bowling to MI's Kieron Pollard, he unleashed a sharp bouncer. Pollard missed it, Starc sledged, and Pollard responded with the classic 'talk to the hand' wave. Simple? Not really. Because what followed was absolute chaos.
As Starc charged in for the next ball, Pollard wasn't prepared. He backed away. Any bowler would pause, right? Nope. Starc delivered anyway, targeting Pollard's legs.
The West Indian, known for his powerful hitting, did something unexpected—he swung, but not at the ball. Instead, his bat flew into the air! Thankfully, the bat slipped and didn't turn into a missile, but the tension had already reached a boiling point.
The umpire needed to intervene, but the damage was done. The game continued under a cloud of tension, with both players glaring at each other like two boxers before a fight.
If Pollard thought the drama was over, he was mistaken. Later in the match, Starc ran him out, and instead of celebrating in the usual manner, he gave Pollard a not-so-subtle taunt. If looks could kill, Starc might have found himself in trouble. The atmosphere at Wankhede was electric, with fans either laughing at the absurdity or gasping at the tension.
In the end, Pollard was fined 75% of his match fee, Starc received a 50% penalty, and both skippers—Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli—were also penalized for slow over-rates.
But wait, wasn't this an actual cricket match? Oh yes! MI, led by Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 59, posted 187/5 in their 20 overs. RCB, despite having power hitters like Chris Gayle, Kohli, and AB de Villiers, could only manage 168/8. The Mumbai Indians won by 19 runs, but let's be honest, all anyone remembers from that night is The Bat Throw Incident!
