3 Teams that can pick Harbhajan Singh in IPL 2021 auction
Chennai Super Kings decided to release Harbhajan Singh a month ahead of the auction for IPL 2021. At 40, the veteran spinner is not getting any younger and his chances of being retained by the franchise all but diminished after he pulled out of last year’s IPL. But at the same time, one cannot deny the fact that Harbhajan is still a force to reckon with in T20s and is one of the most experienced cricketers in the world. With 150 wickets to his name, he is the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the history of the IPL and is likely to be picked by a new franchise in the upcoming auction.
Ahead of the auction, we are taking a look at three teams that might pick Harbhajan Singh for the upcoming season of the tournament.
3. Kings XI Punjab
Given Kings XI Punjab’s struggles especially with the ball in the last season of IPL, they would love to have an experienced bowler in their ranks. The Punjab-based outfit did not have a single off-spinner in their squad last season and Harbhajan could be a good fit for them. The veteran would be the perfect addition to the spin lineup that has three specialist spinners in Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, and Harpreet Brar. Both Ashwin and Bishnoi are wrist spinners while the inexperienced Brar is a left-arm spinner and has played just 3 games in the 2 seasons that he has been part of the franchise.
2. Rajasthan Royals
Another franchise that could bid for Harbhajan Singh in the upcoming auction is Rajasthan Royals. Just like Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals do not have an off-spinner in their squad. Both of their frontline spinners – Shreyas Gopal and Mayank Markande – are leg-spinners. Gopal had a poor outing in IPL 2020 where he picked up ten wickets in 14 games while conceding almost 9 runs per over. Markande, on the other hand, did not play a single game. Given Gopal’s struggles and the lack of faith in Markande, the Royals would be keen to add a quality spinner in the team and Harbhajan could be their answer.
1. Mumbai Indians
Harbhajan Singh’s first IPL team Mumbai Indians could be another destination for the spinner. Having spent ten years with the Mumbai-based outfit, Harbhajan would absolutely love to ply his trade for the franchise once again. Talking about Mumbai’s current spin attack, their three specialist spinners are Krunal Pandya (left-arm spinner), Rahul Chahar (wrist-spinner), and Jayant Yadav (off-spinner). While one cannot question the credentials of the aforementioned players, one can say that Mumbai’s spin department would be better off with an experienced player and in such a case, the franchise could go for Harbhajan. The World Cup-winner was a match-winner for Mumbai and picked up 127 wickets for the franchise at an average of 26.78.
