Kieron Pollard in Super Kings yellow: 16 years after CSK lost the auction battle, Joburg land MI legend for R1.5 million

Certain cricketers sometimes become synonymous with certain franchises over time. The two names become so closely associated that it eventually becomes difficult to separate them. MS Dhoni and the Super Kings are one of the biggest examples of such an association. Then there is also Kieron Pollard and the MI franchise. The Trinidadian has been part of the franchise across most major leagues worldwide, and their relationship has become too deeply entrenched to be seen as two separate entities.

This is exactly why the recent development at the SA20 Season 5 auction has got the fans talking. Kieron Pollard, after spending nearly the entirety of his SA20 tenure with MI Cape Town, has been bought by the Joburg Super Kings for R1.5 million. The move puts one of MI’s most identifiable faces into the yellow of the Super Kings, a sight that would have appeared almost inconceivable not too long ago.

There is some history in this as well. Pollard’s relationship with the Mumbai Indians started at the IPL 2010 auction after he became a T20 sensation, courtesy of his performances for Trinidad and Tobago. This was after Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders were involved in an intense bidding war, with his price reaching the maximum permitted bid of $750,000. After this, a secret tie-breaker eventually decided that Pollard would become a part of the MI family.

What followed became far more than just an auction signing. Kieron Pollard played 13 seasons for the Mumbai Indians, scoring 3,412 runs for them and taking 69 wickets. He was part of all five title-winning squads and also the two Champions League T20-winning campaigns for the franchise. He eventually retired from the IPL in 2022, but he did not leave the franchise. Instead, he became their batting coach. His words at the time perfectly encapsulated the relationship: “Once an MI, always an MI.” Even in April this year, Pollard described his relationship with Mumbai Indians as a “match made in heaven.”

Before the latest edition of the auction, MI decided to release Pollard and put him back into the auction pool alongside several other major names. The auction put 156 players under the hammer for just 19 available positions. The Super Kings seized this opportunity as they also had the biggest purse of R20.6 million going into the auction. And perhaps there is some poetic justice in it as well. Sixteen years after CSK failed to buy him, Pollard is finally going to play for the same cricketing family.

This does not erase everything that has happened so far. Kieron Pollard will always remain an MI legend. However, next season, when Cape Town and Joburg face each other, it will be quite a sight to witness. Kieron Pollard against the blues of MI, playing in the yellow of the Super Kings. Franchise cricket does come with its surprises, producing certain images that once seemed almost unimaginable.