11 years ago, when Pollard pasted tape on his ‘mouth’, he overturned the lost game.
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That match of 2015, where Kieron Pollard’s ‘silent rebellion’ was discussed more than the rain of runs in the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which not only distracted Chris Gayle but also snatched the victory from the jaws of RCB.
In 2015, Mumbai Indians player Pollard came on the field with a tape on his mouth to protest against the umpires.
New Delhi. On Sunday, when the teams of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians took the field at Wankhede ground, it seemed as if a festival of stars had taken place. There is an old rivalry between the two teams because both the teams have the two biggest brands of today. Like every year, in this match too, amidst all the hustle and bustle, Bangalore won the match. Seeing a man sitting in the dugout in Mumbai shouting, that match of 11 years ago came to mind when he came on the field with a tape on his mouth and changed the map of the match.
Slinging, tu-tu-main-main and heated debates are common on the cricket field, but have you ever heard that a player has sealed his mouth with tape after being interrupted by the umpire? Yes, that match of 2015, where instead of the rain of runs in the Chinnaswamy Stadium, there was more discussion about Kieron Pollard’s ‘silent rebellion’, which not only distracted Chris Gayle but also snatched the victory from the jaws of RCB.
Mountain of 210 runs and fear of ‘Universe Boss’
Batting first, Mumbai Indians scored a huge score of 210 runs at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The target was big, but there was fear in the Mumbai camp. Reason? Standing in front was Chris Gayle, who was in his ‘great form’ at that time. If Gayle had stayed at the crease, the target of 210 would have proved dwarf in just 17-18 overs.
Pollard’s ‘sticky’ strategy and umpire’s warning
Mumbai knew that if they wanted to stop Gayle, they would have to divert his attention. Pollard, posted at mid-on, was continuously whispering something or the other in Gayle’s ear, the conversation escalated so much that at one point Pollard started shaking Gayle’s helmet. Seeing the seriousness of the situation, the umpires had to intervene and Pollard was given a stern warning but Pollard was Pollard! He responded to this warning in such a way that the whole world was stunned.
He went to the dugout and came back to the field with a wide brown tape stuck on his mouth. While talking to fellow players, Pollard used to remove the tape and then put it back on again.
Gayle’s concentration was shattered
This strange act of Pollard made the entire stadium laugh, but this ‘mind game’ proved to be too much for Gayle. Gayle, who was in his rhythm, lost his concentration after seeing this drama of Pollard. Gayle, who used to hit the balls outside the boundary, could score only 10 runs in 24 balls in that match.
The result was that the pace of runs stopped and Bengaluru lost the match. After the match, many veterans demanded a ban on Pollard, while many called it against the spirit of the game, but for Pollard, it was just ‘Mission Mute’, which led Mumbai to victory.
