IPL 2021: Harbhajan Singh joins Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of new season
Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has joined the Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) season on Saturday.
At the IPL 2021 auction, the Turbanator was purchased by KKR for INR 2 crore. Earlier, he was released by Chennai Super Kings after skipping IPL 2020 owing to personal reasons.
Taking to their official Instagram account, KKR posted pictures of Harbhajan Singh joining the franchise. Along with the images, KKR wrote:
“The Turbanator reporting for duty! @harbhajan3 #HaiTaiyaar #KKR #IPL2021.”
Before being picked up KKR at this year’s auction, Harbhajan Singh had earlier represented Mumbai Indians in the IPL, after which he played for CSK.
One of the most experienced players in the T20 league, Harbhajan Singh has featured in 160 IPL matches and has 150 wickets to his name at a strike-rate of 22.49 and an economy rate of 7.05.
The 40-year-old is fifth on the list of all-time wicket-takers in the IPL, after Lasith Malinga, Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla and Dwayne Bravo.
A few Kolkata Knight Riders players – Varun Chakravarthy, Rahul Tripathi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sandeep Warrier and Vaibhav Arora – have begun their training for IPL 2021 after ending their mandatory seven-day quarantine in Mumbai.
Kolkata Knight Riders have won the IPL twice (2012 and 2014). In the last two seasons, they have been eliminated in the league stage, though.
Harbhajan Singh promises 100 % commitment to KKR
After getting purchased by the Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 2 crore at the 2021 IPL auction, Harbhajan Singh tweeted that the owners can expect 100 % commitment from him.
"Looking forward to win another (trophy symbol) with purple and gold.. thank you for having me.. all you will get from me is 100% commitment at all time.. see you all soon," he posted on Twitter.
The veteran spinner did not receive a bid the first time his name came up at the IPL 2021 auction. In the later rounds of the auction, KKR snapped him up.
Harbhajan Singh has won four IPL trophies as a player, doing so thrice with Mumbai Indians (2013, 2015 and 2017) and once with Chennai Super Kings (2018).
The off-spinner last played for India in 2016 but has continued to ply his trade in the IPL.