Harbhajan Singh has expressed slight regret over the fact that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won’t be playing at the Eden Gardens in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The veteran off-spinner was acquired at his base price of INR 2 crore by the Eoin Morgan-led side at the IPL 2021 auction. However, this season, all franchises will play their home games at a neutral venue.
Harbhajan, during a discussion on Star Sports, said that he would have been happier if he had got to play at the Eden Gardens, his happy hunting ground. But, with the tournament being staged in India, he is eager to return to action.
“Whether the match is in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai or Mumbai, I am feeling good that the IPL is happening in India and we are not going to Dubai or any other place because it is our festival and as a player, I am looking forward to it.
“IPL is a tournament that everyone waits for, whether it is the players or the spectators. For a player like me who only plays the IPL, the desire to play is going to get fulfilled,” he said.
The two-time champions are scheduled to play their league stage fixtures in Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Bangalore. He also expressed his gratitude to his former franchises, the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings.
“This is my third team for whom I am going to play. I am very thankful to the Mumbai Indians for whom I played for the first ten years, I learnt a lot from them,” the 40-year-old added.
“The same amount of thanks to the Chennai Super Kings as well. I had a three-year contract, played for two years, could not go last year because of Covid and my personal reasons,” he stated.
Harbhajan Singh, who is the fifth all-time wicket-taker in the history of the IPL, signed off by stating that he is hopeful of winning the title with the Kolkata-based franchise, just as he had done with his previous two teams.