When Kieron Pollard joined Rohit Sharma in the middle, Mumbai Indians needed 69 runs from seven overs to chase down Kolkata Knight Riders’ 174 at the Wankhede Stadium. They had lost four wickets in the pursuit and the KKR bowlers had their tails up.

What followed next was carnage. While Rohit continued to hold fort, Pollard turned the match on its head with a rollicking display of shot-making, plundering 51 runs off 17 balls. In the 16th over, the giant from the Caribbean flogged R Sathish for three massive sixes and all but sealed the game for the hosts. Three more strikes over the rope in the 18th over and the game was won.

It was an innings that Pollard needed. He knew he hadn’t been finishing games with the consistency he’d have liked, and on the batting beauty in Mumbai, he was determined to finish things off with a flourish.

After MI’s scintillating six-wicket win, Pollard spoke to IPLT20.COM about his knock and his unbeaten 72-run stand with Rohit. He spoke in awe of Rohit’s tremendous form in this IPL and believed the Mumbai Indians had got their campaign on the right track.

That was a breathtaking finish!

Yes, it was. That was what was needed at that point of time. My role is to come at the back end and finish games. There were a few games in the past I wasn’t able to finish and I know there was a lot of talk going around about that. But I have played enough cricket and T20 games to know that these things happen. Our bowlers deserve a lot of credit for restricting a strong KKR batting line-up to 175 given the way they were going. It was a blistering of a wicket to bat on.

The situation was a bit tricky when you joined Rohit in the middle, with quick wickets having fallen. It was brilliant how the two of you weathered the storm together.

That is the plan – one of the top three batsmen bats till the end. Rohit has done that for us on various occasions this season and he has done a fantastic job. We had one slip-up in Delhi when we had a set batsman at the crease and we still didn’t finish the game. Yes, the situation was a bit tricky when I went in. But when I got there, Rohit told me that it was a really good wicket and the ball was coming well on to the bat. He told me that I should back myself to use my strength. My strength is to hit the ball down the ground and I backed myself to do just that.

Consistency is not the norm in this format. But Rohit now has four fifties already in the tournament. Does the team feel safe when chasing big targets given his form?

Rohit’s aim is to bat till the 15th over. And wickets will fall around him. But he is an experienced player and he knows how to deal with those situations. He is doing justice to his talent at the top of the order. He has been wonderful for us as a player and captain, and he keeps doing it continuously. Guys in the top order have that opportunity to be consistent, and Rohit has been making the most of his. Long may his form continue and hope he keeps doing well for Mumbai Indians.

Mumbai Indians have had a mixed season so far. Good time to peak?

The guys have been working pretty hard behind the scenes and it is showing in our cricket. We have won two games on the bounce now and the one we lost before that, we put in a good effort in that too. So, things are coming together for us as a team and now it is a matter of continuing this form.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how you win games, you just have to get over the line somehow. We have lost a couple of games at the Wankhede Stadium, where normally we play our best cricket. We had a chat about it and it all boiled down to doing the basic things right. We have a very good squad, there is depth in every department and all bases are covered. For us it is a matter of maximising our strengths and ability.

There were a few catches that went down today. Is that something to ponder over?

Yes, we dropped a couple of catches. It didn’t cost us too much in the end but even when you win a game or play a near perfect game, you have to look for areas that need improvement. Those guys are human beings and you shouldn’t come down too hard at them. We can just put in the hard work and in the end the results will come.