Former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo paid a heartwarming tribute for his ex-teammate Kieron Pollard after the Mumbai Indians star announced his retirement from IPL. Bravo, who played a role in bringing Pollard to MI 13 years ago in 2010 when he left the franchise and put in a good word for his friend, mentioned how proud he was of the all-rounder's achievements and wished him luck for his new role as the franchise's batting coach.
"To my best friend, my teammate, opponent. 13 years ago, I had a very small part to play in introducing you to arguably one the most successful IPL teams @mumbaiindians. I saw you grow from a little boy from Maloney and then go to India to dominate the toughest T20 league. You became a household name around the world," Bravo wrote.
"Lord, I salute you on a fantastic career wish you all the best in your next chapter as it's a sad day for you and your fans but we also celebrate what you have achieved. I feel proud as your friend and to write this message @kieron.pollard55 #LORD #LEGEND #BIGLIP from the champion."
Bravo was with MI for the first two seasons of the IPL in 2008 and 2009 before switching to Chennai Super Kings. MI needed to find a fit for Bravo and they found it in Pollard, acquiring his services during the auction winning an intense bidding war against CSK, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, and over the years became one of the pillars of the team, going on to win five IPL titles.
{{/usCountry}}Bravo was with MI for the first two seasons of the IPL in 2008 and 2009 before switching to Chennai Super Kings. MI needed to find a fit for Bravo and they found it in Pollard, acquiring his services during the auction winning an intense bidding war against CSK, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, and over the years became one of the pillars of the team, going on to win five IPL titles.
{{/usCountry}}Pollard, along with Virat Kohli, belongs to one of the rare categories of players who has played all his IPL career – at least 100 matches – for one franchise. Pollard was retained by MI last year for ₹6 crore, but after a below-par season earlier this year which saw him score just 144 runs, the plug was pulled.