During an RCB vs MI game, Pollard was asked to shut up, which he did not take lightly
The Indian Premier League has witnessed several incidents where players or teams have openly protested against something or other in the middle of a game. For example, in 2022, Rishabh Pant called his players back when the Delhi Capitals were denied a no-ball, but the umpires didn’t care about the Capitals’ appeal.
There have been several other such incidents, and we simply cannot forget the gesture West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard made in 2015 during a match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Take any West Indies player—they are a bunch of sportsmen who love to enjoy the game irrespective of the result. Bling, dances, and fun talks are a part of their game, and they love putting on a show—perfect entertainers in the Indian Premier League.
However, in a 2015 game between the Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, two West Indies teammates, Kieron Pollard and Chris Gayle, got into an argument.
Batting first, the Mumbai Indians had posted a target of 209 runs, but given Bengaluru’s batting line-up, it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park for the Indians’ bowlers.
Therefore, to disrupt Bengaluru's opener Chris Gayle’s mental peace, Pollard started sledging his West Indies teammate. Gayle, who is also known for his fun-loving attitude, did not take the sledging lightly and was annoyed by Pollard.
The incident reached a point when the game umpires Richard Illingworth and Vineet Kulkarni intervened and asked Pollard to keep his mouth shut.
The instruction of the umpires wasn’t appreciated by Pollard. The West Indies all-rounder went into the Mumbai Indians dugout and put a tape on his mouth to protest against the umpires.
Pollard’s gesture shocked both sets of players and spectators, leaving the environment gloomy.
On the other hand, Chris Gayle could only score 10 runs despite playing 24 games. Wickets fell in quick succession for Bengaluru, but AB de Villiers and David Weise added 41 and 47 runs, respectively, to save Bengaluru’s boat. However, the team fell short by 18 runs.
Speaking about the incident, India’s former bowler Harbhajan Singh revealed, “The umpire told him to stay quiet, so he wanted to make sure to put the tape on his mouth and be quiet, but he is a bit of a character. He likes doing things like that. IPL brings the best flavours of the West Indies boys, and there was something very different and unique, which was in good taste.”
Kieron Pollard made his debut in 2010 for the Mumbai Indians and spent time with the side till 2022, having represented no other franchise. In 189 matches, he scored 3,412 runs while scalping 69 wickets. He is still with MI, serving as their batting coach.
