Harbhajan wants to see his one-time foe on the cricket field soon
Harbhajan wants to see his one-time foe on the cricket field soon
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So as the clock ticks towards April 18 when Mumbai Indians face Chennai Super Kings to set the second edition of the IPL rolling in South Africa, one can't help think about the Mumbai Indians' off-spinner and the Kings XI Punjab speedster.For Harbhajan, who was suspended for the remaining 11 IPL games after Slapgate, the ride has become rosier with every match... every series. And by emerging as the highest wicket-taker in all three formats of the game during the recently concluded tour of New Zealand, Harbhajan has proved that he has taken over the mantle from Anil Kumble as India's premier spinner.
Off track
On the other hand, Sreesanth's career graph has been off track ever since the inaugural IPL, primarily because of injuries. Though he recovered after the IPL for a couple of domestic games, the Kerala pacer went down with a stress fracture in his lower back and was ruled out of the IPL's second season. Instead, the once promising bowler will now work as the Fan Mentor and Community Face of the franchise co-owned by Preity Zinta.u00a0
However, Harbhajan, who had apologised after losing his temper on the night of April 23 in Mohali, had words of encouragement for Sreesanth.
"No player likes to sit out or get injured. I am disappointed that Sreesanth is injured. I wish him all the best," said Harbhajan, when asked how badly Sreesanth will be missed, especially in the forthcoming World Twenty20.
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"I hope he recovers soon and starts playing domestic cricket, does well in domestic cricket and gets back into the national side. He is a very talented bowler."
That brings us to the next big question.
Will Harbhajan, who led Mumbai Indians in the absence of the injured Sachin Tendulkar until he was suspended, avoid such a mistake, which turned out to be fatal for the Mumbai Indians' campaign?
New season
"It's a new season, and there are a lot of hopes from Mumbai Indians this year. Even I have a lot of expectations," Harbhajan, who was recently named in the Wisden's Test XI of the Year, said. "This year we have all players available for the whole tournament. All of us are looking forward to it. Last year, unfortunately I couldn't play the whole season. But this year, I am available for the whole tournament, so I am really excited.
Hopefully, I will continue bowling well and contribute to the team's success."
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