Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard has said that the aim of the side is to bring forward new talents each season with the aim of making them long-term assets for the side moving forward. MI has already seen Ashwani Kumar and Vignesh Puthur step up for them this season.
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00:00That has been the case historically, but I can safely tell you from playing and even being on the other side of the rope,
00:08it's not something that we want to happen. We continue to try to prepare all the time to win from the first game.
00:16But as nature has it so far, and true to form, we have put ourselves in these positions in start and slow.
00:24Having said that, it's all part and parcel of the sport. Another big auction took place and there are some teams that get the combinations,
00:35get things right, the cohesiveness together quicker than some. For us, we continue to work hard on that.
00:43Hopefully, for us, we can string some wins together.
00:49What's your assessment of what they can offer you?
00:53My expertise is not as a curator, but for me and for us, I think it's more about adaptability in whatever is presented on a particular day.
01:05As a former player, coach, management, you want to be able to prepare for any eventuality.
01:13You try to control things that you can't control. The nature of the services is something that we can't control as a management and as a playing group.
01:23Whatever is presented, that's how you get to be called world-class and legends, that you're able to adapt to anything that is in front of you.
01:33Going back to the Gujarat game, Robin Mintz came on the bat for Hardik Panya. Was it just a match-up thing given Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore or is it a set?
01:48Nothing is set. I think the only thing that is set is the first two guys that walk out the bat to open innings.
01:56After that, when it comes to T20 cricket and white-ball cricket, you have to be flexible in every situation.
02:04For us, you sit, you plan, you think about different scenarios, different entry points where guys can express themselves in difficult situations.
02:16That's how we set it up. Again, nothing is set in stone. At times, we tend to make a lot out of where a guy bats, where he's slated to bat and where he comes to bat.
02:27At the end of the day, there are always plans that are in place for that. For us, it's just how we see the game.
02:34At the end of the day, the most important thing I said before is adaptability and the next word is flexibility.
02:41Last couple of questions.
02:43Kiron, in the last two matches, two young men played very well for Mumbai. Is this a big message for the Chinese that the star value is not helping everybody, but the young girls who you are searching from the grassroot level, they are playing very well?
03:04There's a place for everyone. When you look at it, at some point in time, the superstars we speak about were young talent as well at one point in time.
03:14So why would we say there's no space for them? I think we just need to continue to be careful in the way that we portray things.
03:20There's a cycle in everything that you do. There are generational changes and we just need to accept that.
03:26We have opportunity now. We have young guys coming in at different times and doing well.
03:32We tend to put a lot of expectations on their shoulders and straight away start to think about the senior guys who has nurtured them as well should be out of the reckoning.
03:44I think in everything that we do, there should be a balance. It's all well and good that every single year of the IPL, you get to unearth young talent.
03:55Another thing is healthy for Indian cricket. So let's look at it in that perspective.
03:59Mr. Sharma has not been in good form. Are you worried for him or are you just confident that he will be just coming?
04:09Personally, I've played alongside Rodsen on the 19th cricket. He has forged his name and etched his name in history in the record books in different situations, different formats of the game.
04:22He's a legend of the game in his own right. And as an individual as well, there are times when you have a couple of low scores.
04:29He has earned the right as well as an individual to now enjoy his cricket and not be pressurized in certain situations.
04:37So let's not judge on a couple of low scores. In cricket, we know, we feel more than we succeed.
04:44And I'm sure we'll be singing his praises when he comes and he gives us that big score. And then we'll be on to the next hot topic.
04:51Last question.
04:57MI has been the nursery of the youngsters. Like all the youngsters over the years, MI has been producing. The scouting system has been always on the mark.
05:03So how do you think the scouting system of MI is a bit different from the other franchises?
05:08I think for me personally, I'd be biased in saying because I don't know how the scouting system is for the other franchises and how they go about selecting their players.
05:18I have a fair idea of how we as a franchise sort of do it. And I think over the years, we have been successful in honouring cricketers each and every time that we step,
05:29every time it's an IPL year or even during the year at different junctures. So for us, as I said, there's a method. Again, there's a method to the madness.
05:38And again, we continue to see the young talents emerge and hopefully they can emerge and they can do well for a long time.