Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik heaped praise on his team’s new recruit, Harbhajan Singh, ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2021), saying the way he has been showing interest and intensity at the age of 40 speaks volumes of him as a character.
Former KKR captain further said it wasn’t “easy” for the two-time IPL champions to pick the veteran off-spinners for the IPL 2021, but the way he has “shown interest and intensity” at the nets is just “fabulous” while highlighting his hard work during the practice ahead of the tournament.
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The 40-year-old off-spinner was released by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the IPL 2021 auction, but KKR showed interest in the World Cup winner and picked him for his base price of Rs 2 crore and Karthik is confident that the Turbanator will do a great job for the franchise in the IPL 14.
As reported by IANS, Karthik said: “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.”
The 35-year-old wicket-keeper further noted, “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.
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.”
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He signed off, “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.”
KKR will face SRH in their opening match of IPL 2021 on April 11.
(IANS inputs)
