CPL 2021: Kieron Pollard crosses 11000 runs in T20s

West Indies white-ball leader Kieron Pollard become only the second player to breach 11000 runs in T20 cricket. The talismanic all-rounder got to the landmark in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL) when he led Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) to a victory over St Lucia Kings on Monday (31 August). Pollard scored 41 runs, smashing six fours and one six during his 29-ball knock.

A colossus figure in T20 cricket, Pollard now has 11,008 runs in 554 matches with an astonishing strike rate of 152.74 with one century and 55 half-centuries to his name. He is just behind his fellow Caribbean teammate Chris Gayle, who has 14,108 runs in the T20s.

 Pakistan batter Shoaib Malik and Australia batter David Warner occupy the third and fourth spot respectively. Not only with the bat, but the veteran all-rounder is equally good with ball in hand as he has picked up 297 wickets as well.

Burst onto the scene in 2007, Pollard has gone on to thrive in cricket’s shortest format. His bludgeoning sixes down the ground and his famed celebration while taking a catch or getting to a milestone has earned him a tag of an entertainer too. He has played 88 T20I matches and 118 ODIs for the West Indies in the white-ball formats but he is yet to play a first-class match for his country.

Pollard’s exploits have also seen him play franchise T20 cricket all over the globe. Notably, he is a constant player in the Mumbai Indians team in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has so far played a humongous 171 IPL games and has scored 3191 runs for the five-team IPL champions Mumbai Indians. 

After completing the CPL, Pollard will get to don the blue jersey for his team in the UAE leg of IPL scheduled to begin from September 19.