Former Kolkata Knight Riders captain Dinesh Karthik is pleased to see the efforts put in by Harbhajan Singh during the team's practice sessions ahead of IPL 2021, and reckons the veteran off-spinner is appearing in a different mindset this time around. Harbhajan, who missed the last season of IPL due to personal reasons was one of players released by Chennai Super Kings before the IPL auction.
However, at the 2021 IPL auction, Harbhajan found a new home as KKR invested ₹2 crore on him. And judging by what Karthik makes of Harbhajan's effort, the off-spinner is already hitting the top gear ahead of a fresh season with the little things, such as coming to practice before anyone else.
"Picking him I think wasn't easy, considering that he has been around for so long. But the amount of interest and interest and intensity he has shown in the last one week is just fabulous," Karthik told KKR website. "He has been coming to practice 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."
At 40, Harbhajan comes into the IPL 2021 without any match practice. In fact, Harbhajan last played any form of competitive cricket in May of 2019, when CSK played the final against Mumbai Indians and lost by a narrow margin of one run. However, despite his age, Harbhajan is showing tremendous determination ahead of his maiden stint with KKR, which Karthik feels is inspiring.
{{/usCountry}}At 40, Harbhajan comes into the IPL 2021 without any match practice. In fact, Harbhajan last played any form of competitive cricket in May of 2019, when CSK played the final against Mumbai Indians and lost by a narrow margin of one run. However, despite his age, Harbhajan is showing tremendous determination ahead of his maiden stint with KKR, which Karthik feels is inspiring.
{{/usCountry}}"Even in a practice game that starts at 7 pm, he comes 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," shared Karthik.
"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."