Harbhajan Singh reckons RCB will target Ishan Kishan in IPL 2022 mega auction
Cricket pundits and experts are busy with their predictions and analysis with the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction being around the corner. The two-day bidding event will take place in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13. A total of 590 players – 370 Indians and 220 overseas – will go under the hammer and it would be interesting to see how the final squads would look like.
Meanwhile, former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh reckons Ishan Kishan will be one of the most sought-after players in the bidding event. The southpaw was exceptional for Mumbai Indians in the last couple of seasons and did well in some international games as well. As he can also take the wicket-keeping gloves, many franchises are expected to break the bank for him.
Ishan Kishan will become a very big player in the time to come: Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan is also of the same opinion. Saying the 23-year-old will become a ‘big player’ in the time to come, the former cricketer believes Kishan can be entrusted with the leadership role as well.
“Ishan Kishan is someone I am a fan of. On his own capability, on any given day, he can smash 70-80 runs off 30 balls and win the match for his team. He will become a very big player in the time to come. If a player like him goes to any team, he should be given the responsibility of leadership,” said Harbhajan on his YouTube channel.
The 41-year-old also suggests Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) would go after him as they need a skipper with Virat Kohli stepping down from the role. “The way he gets older, with responsibilities he will become even bigger. He already captains Jharkhand. RCB would definitely target Ishan Kishan in the auction. It will be tough because many teams would go after him at the auction,” added Harbhajan.
Meanwhile, the eight existing franchises were allowed to retain a maximum of just four players ahead of the auction. The two new teams – Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans – picked three players apiece from the list of non-retained players. Kishan was part of Mumbai Indians set-up till last season. However, he wasn’t among the four retentions of the franchise.
