Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who will be appearing for KKR this season, has expressed his regret at the fact that there will be no games at the Eden Gardens for his IPL franchise. He also added that he has very fond memories of the venue in whatever cricket he has played in Kolkata over the years.
Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh’s hat-trick against Australia at Eden Gardens in 2001 and the match-winning spell is well remembered. The Kolkata Test and the series not only helped him become a special part of the Indian folklore but also a regular in the side. The 40-year-old has still not retired from the game and has remained relevant at least in the IPL if not for the senior team.
He was snapped by KKR in this year’s auction. But it surfaced later that no team will be playing any games at their home ground, which also means that Harbhajan will not get to play at his happy hunting ground in Kolkata. Now, he has expressed his regret that he will not be playing at the Eden Gardens this year given how special the ground is for the veteran player.
“I have very good memories from Eden – Test cricket, ODI cricket – whatever cricket I have played there, even the two titles we had won there for the Mumbai Indians. That is a special ground for me and there will be no cricket there, that small regret will be there but it is an opportunity for me as a player to just go out and be happy about playing cricket,” Harbhajan told Star Sports, reported HT.
However, Bhajji is happy that at least, IPL is back in the country as he intently waits to feature in the cash-rich league.
“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.
He also expressed his desire for lifting the trophy with the KKR side like he had done with MI and CSK.
“I am excited to be associated with a third big team, the speciality is I have been associated with the teams who have won the championship. Hopefully, I will go just out there and play the way I have played always and try and lift the cup for KKR,” he added.
