Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was roped in by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the IPL 2021 auction last month, is excited to join the franchise but he is slightly disappointed that the team won’t be playing at the Eden Gardens this season.

Last week, IPL released the schedule for the 2021 edition of the tournament, as per which, KKR will play their league matches in Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Bangalore.

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"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 Singh said while speaking on Star Sports.

The Turbanator, who opted out of the last year’s IPL in UAE due to personal reasons, is keen to get back on the field and feeling good that the T20 league is taking place in India.

"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," Harbhajan added.

After being released by Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Harbhajan Singh had entered into the IPL 2021 auction with a base price of INR 2 Crore and KKR bought him at the same amount.

Harbhajan played for CSK in 2018 and 2019 after his association with Mumbai Indians for 10 years.

Overall, he has played 160 IPL games, claiming 150 wickets at an economy rate of 7.05 with one five-wicket haul.