IPL 2021 | Not sure what Kieron Pollard was thinking, states Kevin Pieterson

Chennai skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first in the opening game of the second leg of the IPL 2021 against Mumbai Indians. Chennai were tottering at 24 for 4 at the end of the powerplay having lost the wickets of Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Moeen Ali and MS Dhoni. Mumbai opening bowlers Adam Milne and Trent Boult exploited the new ball as they took two wickets apiece. Even Ambati Rayadu was forced to retire from the game when he got hit just below the elbow. Pieterson felt that Mumbai should have bowled Chennai for 60,70 or 80 given the start they had in the powerplay. 

"Mumbai started so well. They really got themselves into the game. They knew they needed to get themselves going. They lost their captain so he was replaced. And they started so well. CSK were 4 down very early. Ambati Rayudu retired out. When you get that many wickets early, you have to keep your foot down. You talk about momentum; you need to keep it going," Pietersen said during the innings interval on Star Sports.

"I think Mumbai Indians missed a trick. I don't know what Kieron Pollard was thinking by not bowling Jasprit Bumrah for 2 or 3 overs. They could have been 40/7, 50/7. CSK could have been 60, 70 or 80 all out. I'm not being silly when I say that. You have got to bowl your fast, strike bowlers."

Thanks to Ruturaj Gaikwad's unbeaten 88 and useful innings down the order from Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo, Chennai posted a respectable total of 156/6 which proved to be enough to seal the win. Gaikwad and Jadeja had a partnership of 81 runs for the fifth wicket. Bravo chipped with a cameo of 23 runs of just eight balls. 

Jasprit Bumrah was taken off after just one over, and the ball was handed to Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar. Chahar bowled a tight spell but Krunal leaked runs as he gave away 27 runs in his two-over spell. The 41-year-old reckons that the bowling changes could have been avoided.

"They were allowed into the game. There is nowhere in this world that they should have been in this game. Mumbai Indians should have cleaned them out. These are things that are discussed in team meetings. If you had been 40/4 or something like that, you don't bring spinners in and if you do, you don't put fielders in the boundary," Pietersen added at the end of the match.