IPL: 5 cricketers who were only part of first edition

3. Shaun Pollock

Mumbai Indians (MI) signed up South Africa all-rounder Shaun Pollock for the first season. After stand-in skipper Harbhajan Singh’s suspension due to slap gate, MI handed the reins of the team to Shaun Pollock until regular captain Sachin Tendulkar’s return. As a leader, he looked decent as MI succeeded in pulling off three games under him out of four appearances.

In the 23rd match of the competition, Pollock led from the front and helped Mumbai to vanquish Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) by 29 runs. Riding on his rapid batting show, MI posted a decent 162/8 on the board. Defending the total, the pacer powered his side with his 2/16 bowling figures in his four-over spell. 

For his swashbuckling all-round display, Pollock received the Player of the Match at the end of the game. Talking about his overall performance in the season, he ended up his season with 11 wickets in 13 matches at an economy of 6.54. While with the bat, he chipped in with 147 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 132.43. In the subsequent editions of the tournament, Pollock didn’t participate as a player but served MI as a coach for a few seasons.