Kieron Pollard has made a mark again on the history of the sport and has written a remarkable record in the Caribbean premier league (CPL). As part of Trinbago Knight Riders, the veteran all-rounder had a brief but meaningful hit of 19 against Barbados Royals that had a historic meaning that went well beyond the scorecard.
Kieron Pollard creates record in T20 cricket
The ex-West Indies captain was the first cricketer to reach the 14,000/300 wicket T20s double. This record in itself makes him stand out of all the others who had ruled the game with either a bat or the ball and Pollard is thus the all round player in the shortest form of the game.
Pollard figures emphasize his stunning consistency. Having played 712 matches with 14,000 runs and 332 wickets, the career of the 48 year old player has been marked with both stamina and brilliance. Kieron Pollard continues to shine on Trinbago Knight Riders, one of the franchises of which Kolkata Knight Riders is affiliated, and a co-owner with Shah Rukh Khan, although he retired to IPL in 2022.
CPL performance adds to Pollard’s legacy
Pollard was not beaten in the recent encounter against Barbados Royals when he went 19 off only nine deliveries. His time in the field was very short, but it got his side going in pursuit of 179. Nicholas Pooran, however, had the batting honours with 65 not out of 40 balls and Colin Munro with 67 out of 44.
The performance of Pollard brought him back into the memory of the T20 as a valuable player. He keeps providing experience and strength to the CPL, a tournament in which fans have seen his domination over the years. There are more than just numbers, the presence of Kieron Pollard is also an important ingredient in the success of Trinbago Knight Riders.
Comparison with T20 greats
The accomplishment of Pollard is great in comparison to other legends. Chris Gayle has the highest number of runs in T20 cricket, 14,562, 22 centuries and 88 half-centuries. Pollard is now trailing Gayle by just 563 runs, and may become the dominant run-scorer in the format in the coming few seasons.
At the bowling crunch, Rashid Khan is the top performer with 661 wickets in 488 matches and may be the first bowler to get 1,000 dismissals. Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine have 631 and 590 wickets behind him respectively. Still, none of these bowlers has been as all-round as Pollard has been.
Kieron Pollard’s place in cricket history
This is one new milestone that will guarantee that the name of Pollard will be etched forever in the history of T20. His batting power and consistent bowling have earned him a distinctive all round legacy that none of the players has so far equaled.
Although numerous stars have been characterized by their own periods in the T20 format, the success of Kieron Pollard is a hard-to-find combination of long-term, multifaceted, and superiority. Fans will be keen to see whether Pollard will be able to soar further and break the long held record of Gayle as the CPL progresses.
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