Kieron Pollard and Rohit Sharma [Source: X.com]
In a major development, the BCCI has taken strict action against one of the oldest members of the Mumbai Indians team after the IPL 2026 match between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings. The match was played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday, May 14.
Notably, the match turned out to be one of the most exciting games of the season as MI defeated PBKS by six wickets in a last-over thriller. At the same time, the loss extended Punjab Kings’ disappointing run in the tournament, marking their fifth consecutive defeat of the season.
Punjab Kings Suffer Heavy Defeat Against Mumbai Indians
Batting first, Punjab Kings posted a massive total of 200/8 in 20 overs. Young opener Prabhsimran Singh played an excellent innings and scored a half-century for his side. However, MI pacer Shardul Thakur delivered an impressive bowling performance and picked up four important wickets to keep his team in the contest.
In reply, MI chased down the target with just one ball remaining. Tilak Varma emerged as the hero for MI after smashing a brilliant 75 runs off just 33 balls.
BCCI Punishes Mumbai Indians' Batting Coach
Meanwhile, the controversy took place during the 19th over of Mumbai Indians’ run chase. It is important that Kieron Pollard used abusive language towards the fourth umpire during the match.
As a result, the IPL governing body reviewed the incident and later announced disciplinary action against the former West Indies all-rounder.
On Friday, the IPL released an official statement confirming that MI batting coach Kieron Pollard had breached Level 1 of the IPL Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials. The statement further mentioned that Pollard violated Article 2.3, which is related to the use of abusive or offensive language during a match.
"Kieron Pollard, Batting Coach, Mumbai Indians has been fined 15% of his applicable match fee and accumulated one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct for Players and Team officials," read a BCCI statement.
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As punishment, Pollard has been fined 15 percent of his match fee. In addition, he has also received one demerit point. However, Pollard accepted his mistake and agreed to the sanctions imposed by match referee Pankaj Dharmani.
Kieron Pollard’s Long Association With Mumbai Indians
Notably, Kieron Pollard has been one of the most important figures in Mumbai Indians’ history. He joined the franchise in 2010 and spent his entire IPL playing career with the five-time champions. Over the years, Pollard played several match-winning knocks and played a key role in helping MI win five IPL titles.
After announcing his retirement from the IPL in 2023, Pollard moved into a coaching role and became the batting coach of MI. His retirement marked the end of a successful 12-year playing journey with the franchise, but he continued to remain closely connected with the team through coaching responsibilities.
Also Read: Mumbai Indians' 5-Time IPL Winning Team Member Parts Ways With Franchise
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