-Skipper fresh off back-to-back T20 titles, runs under belt 

A more matured Kieron Pollard will enter the T20 series against New Zealand, not only as Captain of the West Indies but their most capped, arguably the best batsman and the possible key to a historic series win.

Although his international T20 stats pale in comparison to that of his overall prowess in the shortest format, Pollard will definitely be the X-factor going up against the Kiwis in their backyard with an unblemished record against the Caribbean side in this format.

From a confidence level, the burly Trinidadian will easily deal with the pressure of playing in the Bubble, having won back-to-back T20 titles over the summer.

After leading the Trinbago Knight Riders to a historic unbeaten run in this summer’s Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) where they won yet another title after running roughshod over the other franchises, Pollard took his talents to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where he inspired his long-time franchise, the Mumbai Indians, to their 5th title, the most in the competition’s history; with two successive titles in less than 3 months– one being captain and the other coming with the Indians after being one of their longest serving, unofficial captain-like figures over the franchise’s existence.

From an on-field, more hands-on approach, the 33-year-old will enter the T20 series with runs under his belt to add to the confidence factor. During TKR’S record CPL season, the then skipper finished with 207 runs with a mind-boggling strike-rate of 204.95, also leading the tournament with the most sixes– 20.

Pollard was then named super-striker following the end of IPL 2020, another record season for another T20 team, as he smashed 268 runs at an astonishing average of 52.50, coupled with a brutal strike-rate of 191.42, including 15 fours and 22 sixes.

Tracking Pollard’s progression from the CPL, it is clear that the right-hander had been getting better with every game or tournament he’s played in to date. This purple-patch is ideal for the Windies who are without a few of their big T20 stars, while it allows Pollard to further assert himself as not only the greatest overall T20 player alongside Chris Gayle the Windies ever produced, but the answer they need with regard to a leader who leads by example on the international level.

The CPL and IPL will definitely be used as ‘warm-up’ by Pollard, who will no doubt look to transition to the international scene with the same team success rate, but also of the big guns needed to help buff the batting order, especially during the latter stages when runs are needed at a faster pace.

With a strong, young team mixed with veteran players, in-form T20 players fresh off the CPL and IPL, Pollard will no doubt feel safe and ideally confident in bringing their best brand of cricket to the home team come November 27 when the first T20 gets underway.