Kieron Pollard tells Mumbai Indians supporters he does not want RCB or CSK jerseys inside Wankhede
Kieron Pollard, after taking over as Mumbai Indians coach, told supporters he does not want to see Royal Challengers Bangalore or Chennai Super Kings jerseys inside Wankhede Stadium during IPL matches, speaking to MI’s YouTube channel after his appointment.
Wankhede has recently seen crowds cheering for rival teams rather than backing Mumbai, with loud chants for RCB and cheers for MS Dhoni ringing out in matches where the franchise struggled to make an impact. Pollard said restoring the stadium’s energy will start with reigniting supporter passion and increasing visible MI presence. “You want to see that blue flag flying, and you want to see that passion and spirit from the fans,” he said.
Outlining his immediate priority, Pollard said: “My first task is bring that energy and spirit. That when you walk into the Wankhede Stadium, you are not seeing the yellows and the reds and stuff like that.” He framed the fans’ response as linked to on-field performance, acknowledging that rekindling faith depends on results.
Pollard added that the team itself must deliver those results. “And that can only come firstly from us,” he said, then emphasised internal focus ahead of external pressure.
He conceded the franchise’s recent shortcomings and set expectations for accountability. “We recognise the fact that we have not been where we wanted to be in the last couple of years,” Pollard said. “So there’s no hiding from that. But we are going to try our best now to ensure that we continue to play for that badge, team above self, and then ensure that when the opposition comes, it’s something that they remember from the past. Yes, it’s history, but sometimes in order to go forward, you have to go back a little bit and understand. I think that’s where it’s going to start.”
Pollard succeeds Mahela Jayawardene as Mumbai Indians coach and has publicly set restoring the team’s former standing as a goal. He spoke about these plans in an interview on MI’s YouTube channel following his appointment.
Mumbai finished ninth on the points table last season and missed the playoffs, a result Pollard referenced when discussing the need to rebuild supporter confidence.
“So that’s where our work sort of starts—in terms of understanding what we are playing for and who we are playing for,” Pollard said, setting out the immediate focus he expects the squad to adopt as part of his coaching brief.
