MLC 2026 [WATCH]: Kieron Pollard hurts himself while celebrating Matthew Breetzke’s wicket

MI New York held their nerve to register a crucial victory over Seattle Orcas in Match 25 of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 season at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. In a contest filled with momentum swings, experienced all-rounder Kieron Pollard once again proved why he remains one of the biggest match-winners in T20 cricket.

The former West Indies captain delivered when his side needed him the most, but moments after producing a vital breakthrough, an unexpected incident left teammates and fans concerned. Fortunately for MI New York, the experienced campaigner was able to return later in the innings and play another decisive role in the team’s victory.

Kieron Pollard suffers injury scare while celebrating Matthew Breetzke’s wicket

The turning point arrived in the 15th over of Seattle Orcas’ chase when Pollard outsmarted Matthew Breetzke with a clever piece of bowling. Anticipating the batter’s movement across the crease, the veteran followed him with his delivery, leaving Breetzke with very little room to free his arms.

Attempting to guide the ball through the off side, Breetzke managed only a faint inside edge that crashed into the stumps. The dismissal ended an excellent innings of 44 off 31 balls, featuring four boundaries and one six, with the South African batter falling just six runs short of a deserved half-century.

Pollard erupted in celebration immediately after the wicket, sprinting across the field and pointing towards his head to indicate that the dismissal was the result of careful planning. However, the celebrations quickly turned into a worrying moment as the veteran appeared to hurt his shoulder during the animated celebration. He was visibly in discomfort while walking off the field, leaving MI New York supporters hoping that the injury was nothing serious.

Here’s the video:

Kieron Pollard injured himself while celebrating a wicket in the MLC. 😳 pic.twitter.com/tJIIBBJviA

— Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) July 11, 2026

Pollard returns to complete MI New York’s thrilling win

Any concerns over Pollard’s fitness were eased when he returned to bowl the final over of the innings. The experienced all-rounder struck once again by dismissing Ali Sheikh with a cleverly disguised slower full toss. Looking to clear the boundary, Ali charged down the wicket but could only manage a top edge, with Tajinder Singh safely completing the catch at deep mid-wicket to end Seattle Orcas’ hopes.

MI New York eventually completed a dramatic 17-run victory to move up to third place in the MLC 2026 points table with 10 points from nine matches, although their negative net run rate remains a concern heading into the final stages of the league. Speaking after the match, captain Nicholas Pooran praised Pollard’s contribution and revealed that the veteran had picked up only “a little niggle.” Pooran also hailed Pollard and Romario Shepherd for handling the pressure brilliantly, describing Pollard as one of the greatest middle-order batters the T20 format has ever produced after another match-winning display.