IPL 2018: Harbhajan Singh thrilled to reunite with MS Dhoni at CSK

Discarded Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh, who for the past one decade donned the blue outfit of Mumbai Indians, won’t be wearing the same in the IPL 2018. Following the auction, Harbhajan Singh’s departure from Mumbai Indians (MI) became one of the biggest talking points. The ace off-spinner spent all 10 seasons of the IPL with MI and was a vital cog in the franchise’s success. However, MI has not retained the 37-year-old for the upcoming seasons and Bhajji will now play for the Chennai Super Kings.

One of the key cogs of Mumbai in the first decade of IPL, the 37-year-old played an integral role in their triumphs over the years. During his time with Mumbai Indians, Harbhajan three IPL titles and two Champions League T20 titles. He also captained the side when it lifted its first Champions League title in 2011.

However, in the recently concluded IPL auction, the franchise decided to part ways with the World Cup-winning bowler, who now looks a pale shadow of his former self. Last year, he had failed to perform as per expectations and also warmed the bench on several occasions. Nevertheless, the evergreen Harbhajan looks extremely upbeat on his new opportunity especially more since he gets to reunite with MS Dhoni.

Harbhajan opens up about his new franchise

Speaking to Times of India, Bhajji said, “Well, for 10 years I was part of that team and time simply flew. It doesn’t matter if I was surprised or not, every team has its own planning and they went about their job. They clearly told me about what they felt about player retention and I have no hard feelings, I respect their decision.”

He added, “They are looking to build the team for the future and I am thankful to MI for the brilliant 10 years and the five trophies (three IPLs and two Champions League titles) that I won with them. But now it’s time to move ahead and you cannot get a better team than CSK.”