Former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper and currently an integral part of the leadership group, Dinesh Karthik is highly impressed by Harbhajan Singh’s work ethics in the lead up to the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League and feels that the veteran cricketer will do a great job for the two-time champions in the upcoming edition of the tournament.
The tweaker was snapped up by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the mini-auction in February for his base price of Rs 2 crores. Without an iota of doubt, KKR has a strong spin department, arguably the best in the tournament. With the likes of Varun Chakravarthy, Shakib Al Hasan, Kuldeep Yadav, Sunil Narine and Pawan Negi in their ranks, the spin department looks a formidable one who has the ability to dismantle any batting line-up in the competition.
"Picking him I think wasn't easy, considering that he has been around for so long. But the amount of interest and intensity he has shown in the last one week is just fabulous. He has been coming to practise sessions early, much ahead of all other players! And he has been doing it consistently! I think he is a different man now from whatever little I have seen of him this week," Karthik was quoted as saying during an interview with the KKR official website.
"Even in a practice game that starts at 7 PM, he had come at 4 O'clock! He was batting before that, he bowled to Shakib Al Hasan and Eoin Morgan and then did his stretching again before getting into the practice game. He is bowling in the match and also fielding all 20 overs. That's about as much as you can ask for from a man of his stature! He has achieved everything. Yet to show this kind of interest at this stage of his career speaks volumes of him as a character. I am sure he will do a great job for KKR," he further added.
Harbhajan Singh has a love affair with Kolkata and the Eden Gardens. The iconic stadium has been a happy hunting ground for the spin wizard. KKR won’t play any matches at the Eden Gardens but the tag of Kolkata will surely keep Harbhajan in a good space of mind in the twilight of his career.
Meanwhile, KKR will play their first match on Sunday against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai where the spinners always tend to make a big impact.