'I have got nothing to prove' - Harbhajan Singh ahead of IPL 2021

Ahead of the 2021 Indian Premier League, Harbhajan Singh has expressed that there is nothing else he has to prove to anyone anymore, hence he will be enjoying this edition. The veteran off-spinner was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2021 auction for his base price of INR two crore. He missed the last season of the league due to personal reasons. 

KKR will be the third franchise for which the Punjab spinner will play. He had featured for the Mumbai Indians from 2008 until 2017. In the 2018 and 2019 seasons, he represented Chennai Super Kings. During a recent interaction, the 40-year-old bowler expressed his will to play the game. He said that he wants to enjoy his stint with the franchise and play well. 

“People think ‘why is he playing’ but that’s your opinion. From where I see myself, I want to play and I will play. I have got nothing to prove to anyone. My intention is to play well, enjoy my stint out there in the middle and playing cricket still gives me that satisfaction,” Harbhajan said as quoted by Outlook India. 

I am fit and will certainly do what is required to succeed at this level: Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan, who has more than 700 international wickets, has not played for India since 2016. However, his performances in the IPL have been quite good, especially in 2019. During that season, the offie picked up 16 wickets from his 11 matches. During the interaction, Harbhajan also talked about his fitness. 

“I have set a standard for myself and if I don’t meet that, I don’t need anyone else but I will blame myself. I need to ask myself, did I put in the optimum effort that was required. Yes, I am not a 20-year-old anymore and won’t be training like I did then. But yes, as a 40-year-old, I know I am fit and will certainly do what is required to succeed at this level,” the off-spinner said. 

This will be Harbhajan’s 23rd season playing at the senior men’s cricket level. He made his debut for India in 1998. In the cash-rich league, he has picked up 150 wickets from his 160 matches. His economy of 7.09 makes him a valuable pick in any T20 team.