Match 1 Preview | MINYvSFU: Pollard vs Finch battle to kick things off
By MI New York Media
An American cricketing revolution, the rise of a new dawn, a sold-out opening game, lots of anticipatory buzz on the streets. That’s enough buildup. It’s time to hit the ground. It’s time to put on that Blue and Gold!
“Winning mentality”
Over the last 16 years, through five IPL titles, through two CLT20 wins, the WPL title in our maiden season, the inaugural editions of the SA20 and the ILT20, there was one common thread – we play to win. With MI New York now at the cusp of opening itself to the world, this is one thing our skipper, our legend, Kieron Pollard, couldn’t stress on more.
“Domestic players most important in franchise cricket”
The MLC has a rule of having a minimum of five USA players in the XI, and MI NY has five capped players in our squad to fill up these slots. Pollard said scouting domestic talent was something that made the MI franchise stand out historically. The first USA-born player to be picked up in the Draft this year was by MI New York, in the form of Steven Taylor.
Right then, Aaron Finch’s San Francisco Unicorns are our first hurdle to clear. With the likes of Lungi Ngidi, Haris Rauf, Liam Plunkett and Qais Ahmed in their squad, they are one proper potent bowling unit. But don’t be worried. The no-look hitter in Dewald Brevis, the hottest finisher in town, Tim David, the leftie dynamo, Nicholas Pooran, and obviously, the calm head and massive sixes of Kieron Pollard, are just the challenge they’d be trying to avoid.
What: MI New York vs San Francisco Unicorns
When: 14th July 3:30 PM CDT, 02:00 AM IST (15th July)
Where: Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas
What to expect: Small boundaries, a lightning quick outfield, a flat deck with lots of runs. Still, trust Trent Boult to find swing, trust Kagiso Rabada to find bounce, and trust Rashid Khan to bamboozle batters left, right and center.
What you need to do: Let’s tell you the drill: put on your blue, bring out your cheering partners, and shout your lungs our to show your love and support!
What they said: “Words cannot describe the connection with the MI franchise. The brand believes in the winning mentality and that is what I have put in myself. It was match made in heaven. It has reaped the awards of winning championships. Now this is a time of transition to help others achieve this level of greatness and I am happy that I am in a position now to influence that change.” – Kieron Pollard, skipper MI New York
