Pollard’s come full circle

Hyderabad. It’s where the Kieron Pollard story burst to life a decade ago, when he smashed an unbeaten 18-ball 54 for Trinidad and Tobago against New South Wales in the Champions League.

That innings changed his life, and it changed T20 too, setting him on a trailblazing path towards becoming the format’s first globetrotting freelancer.

Hyderabad was also the scene, more recently, of Pollard’s fourth IPL title win with Mumbai Indians, in May earlier this year.

Pollard is back at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium now, as the captain of a West Indies team that is preparing to defend its T20 World Cup title next year.

He has fond memories of the ground, and hopes his vast experience of playing in India will benefit a revamped West Indies team that starts a three-match T20 series against India today.

“It is common knowledge. We have played a lot of cricket around the world, we play a lot of cricket here in India,” Pollard said yesterday on the eve the T20I series opener against India.