‘A century and five-wicket haul in the same match’ – KKR’s Shakib Al Hasan opens up on his goals and many more going into IPL 2021

Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan is all set to make his return in the Indian Premier League (IPL). After missing out from the 2020 edition due to his suspension period, the 34-year-old would be turning out for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the upcoming edition. The veteran, recently, ended his quarantine period and is set to join the team for action on the field of play.

During his quarantine, he opened up on a number of aspects regarding the IPL. When asked about the record he would like to break in the cash-rich tournament, the all-rounder replied with “a century and five-wicket haul in the same match.” Back in 2014, Shakib was a part of the Knights’ title-winning campaign under the leadership of former batsman Gautam Gambhir.

In that season, Shakib notched 227 runs and picked up 11 wickets. Seven years down the line, Shakib reckons the 2014 season as his best in the T20 championship. KKR won in 2014, beating Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), now Punjab Kings (PBKS), in the final at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Shakib put forth his answers during ESPNcricinfo’s chat segment IPL 10s.

Shakib Al Hasan wants to take up the challenge against Mumbai Indians

He wished to face Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) Jofra Archer, who has become uncertain for the tournament due to his hand injury. Shakib, nevertheless, is looking forward to facing his KKR teammate, Pat Cummins in the nets. In 2014, Shakib and Cummins were part of the Knights.

Shakib is also looking forward to facing Mumbai Indians (MI), led by Rohit Sharma. MI are the five-time winners of the IPL and they are the defending champions as well. In 2020, they beat Delhi Capitals (DC) in the final to win their fifth title in eight seasons. The Knights are set to face the Mumbai team on April 13 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Apart from KKR, Shakib also represented the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2018 and 2019 respectively. In the 2021 auction, the Knights shelled out INR 3.2 crores for the veteran all-rounder. KKR’s opening game is against SRH on April 11. In 63 IPL matches, Shakib has scored 746 runs and picked up 59 wickets.