What’s the story?
Mumbai Indians off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has opened up on the disappointment of being overlooked for the final of the recently concluded edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Insisting that the team management’s decision was purely a tactical one aimed at Rising Pune Supergiant‘s (RPS) slew of right-handers, the 36-year old reiterated that he respected coach Mahela Jayawardene’s decision.
“Obviously frustrating when you're sitting out and watching the game and it is something which is out of your control. Till last year, I was part of the management that used to pick the playing XI. But this time I needed to spend time with my family. I respect the management's decision. I won't cry about this. I am a team man. Mahela spoke to me about a lot of right-handers in the Pune team so they wanted to play a leg-spinner but as an offie most of my wickets in any formats have been right-handers”, Harbhajan told NDTV.
When asked if he expects to be retained by the franchise for the next season, the veteran asserted that he has represented the team for as many as ten years and went on to dismiss doubts over his advancing age. He jested, “I'm young. Have a look at me, I'm just about to get six packs.”
The background
During the 2017 IPL season, Harbhajan played 11 matches and picked up 8 wickets at an average of 33.25. However, his economy-rate was a remarkable 6.48. He made the last of his appearances in Mumbai’s penultimate group game against Kings XI Punjab.
The heart of the matter
After conceding a whopping 45 runs from just 3 overs in the clash against Kings XI, Harbhajan was dropped from the team for all remaining matches in the season. With Krunal Pandya returning into the side, the team management decided to retain faith in leg-spinner Karn Sharma during the play-offs.
The decision paid rich dividends as Karn produced a splendid spell of 4/16 in the second qualifier against Kolkata Knight Riders at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The wrist-spinner conceded only 18 runs from his full quota of overs in the final against RPS and hence played a key role in Mumbai lifting their third IPL title.
What’s next?
IPL’s governing council are eager to send all players back into the auction pool for next year’s edition. However, the franchises can still retain their preferred players by exercising the ‘right to match’ option.
Author’s take
Leaving out an experienced bowler like Harbhajan is never an easy decision for any IPL franchise. But Mumbai’s bold move to opt for a leg-spinner worked wonders for them in the second qualifier and the final.
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