India cricketer Hanuma Vihari feels that it is going to be a big task for Mumbai Indians to replace the T20 legend Kieron Pollard, who announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League on Tuesday. The five-time champions Mumbai Indians released Pollard, their most senior player, to end a 13-year playing career that began in 2010 when they signed the West Indies player for an undisclosed sum via a tie-breaker that broke the deadlock between four teams.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
While Pollard said he would be calling time as a player in the IPL, his relationship with Mumbai is not ending: he has joined them as a batting coach and will play for MI Emirates, owned by the same group, in the ILT20 in the UAE.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"It is a big loss for them (Mumbai Indians). These are big shoes to fill, for a player of the stature of Kieron Pollard. You can't really replace the legend he is, in the T20 format. The services he has done for Mumbai Indians, not just as a finisher, but as a fielder and as a leader as well," said Vihari on JioCinema.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Five titles with a single team and he has played for one team throughout his career. So that shows the love he had for Mumbai and what Mumbai meant to him. I think it is going to be a big task replacing him. One good thing is that he is still in the dugout giving his guidance," he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The right-handed batter feels Australia cricketer Tim David could step up and do the role which Kieron Pollard was doing for Mumbai.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"One thing Mumbai Indians were quite smart about last year was that they picked Tim David as a future replacement for Kieron Pollard. I feel this year Tim David could step up and do the role which Kieron Pollard was doing," he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Meanwhile, five-time champions Mumbai Indians released as many as 13 players, including West Indies giant Kieron Pollard, who announced retirement earlier in the day.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Apart from Pollard, Mumbai Indians released twelve other players. Riley Meredith, Daniel Sams, Fabian Allen and Tymal Mills were the overseas names left out while Jaydev Unadkat and M Ashwin were among their eight domestic exclusions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n