Kieron Pollard says IPL 2021 is sole focus despite pitch concerns ahead of T20 WC in UAE

West Indies T20 captain Kieron Pollard was the star of the night when Mumbai Indians (MI) faced Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Tuesday night. The all-rounder delivered with both the bat and the ball as he scored 15 runs off just seven deliveries and had outstanding figures of 2/8.

After the match, the West Indies T20 captain interestingly said that his sole focus was on IPL 2021 and that thinking about the upcoming T20 World Cup was 'irrelevant' at this point. The T20 World Cup is set to take place from October 17 to November 14. The Pollard led side will hope to defend their title at this year's edition of the tournament, having won it in 2016.

Kieron Pollard solely focused on IPL 2021

While speaking at the post-match press conference, Kieron Pollard said, "To be honest, World Cup is irrelevant at this point of time. We are playing in the IPL tournament. When you are in a tournament as an individual, you look to think about the present and not look too far ahead. It is a matter of giving all the guys confidence and finding the best solutions. These are guys that have done the job for us. People on the outside do not understand what cricketers go through." 

Despite concerns emerging about the pitches, since the T20 World Cup will be played at the same venues, Pollard said it is pointless to think that far ahead. "Why think about the T20 World Cup when we are playing the IPL. Let's deal with the present, everyone is going on about the pitches, but you cannot get what you want all the time. As a professional athlete, you need to adapt. For me, personally, it is about staying in the present and dealing with what is in front of us as a team," said the Mumbai Indians allrounder.

IPL 2021 points table update: Mumbai Indians climbs to fifth spot

As a result of defeating Punjab Kings on Tuesday, Mumbai Indians climbed to the fifth spot in the IPL 2021 points table. The Rohit Sharma led side now have 10 points after 11 matches and are behind Kolkata Knight Riders only because of the net run rate. Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings leads the IPL 2021 standings with 16 points, having played just 10 games.