Before the next season of the Indian Premier League, which will take place in 2022, it is expected that former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh will join the coaching staff of a high-profile club.
While with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2021, the 41-year-old spinner failed to make a single appearance throughout the season and is contemplating retirement from all forms of professional cricket.
Because he has been a member of the league from its start, he has 150 wickets at an average of 26.86 from 163 games, which is the most in the league’s history. Meanwhile, even though it is not clear what role he would play for the IPL club, a source familiar with the situation has revealed that he will assist the team in its auction choices. The next season of the league will consist of ten clubs, with a super auction to be held before the competition.
“A consultant, mentor, or member of an advisory committee are all possible roles for him, but the franchise with which he is speaking wants to put his extensive knowledge to good use. He will play an active role in assisting the franchise in making their auction selections,” a source close to News18 revealed.
Harbhajan Singh, a veteran of 103 Tests, 236 One-Day Internationals, and 28 Twenty20 Internationals, has always had a soft spot for developing new players. He previously played for two of the most successful IPL franchises, the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings. During his time with the Kolkata Knight Riders, he was able to pass on valuable knowledge to mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who went on to be named to India’s T20 World Cup squad for the following year.
Harbhajan Singh will probably announce his retirement next week
When Harbhajan Singh was with him in the KKR dressing room, Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who just made his international debut during the home series against New Zealand, said that Harbhajan had referred to him as a “big player.”
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“Take it from me, Harbhajan intended to make an official declaration of his retirement when the season was over. He has had extensive discussions with one of the franchises that has shown strong interest, but he would want to speak about it until when the agreement has been signed in writing,” the person added.
Next week, Harbhajan is expected to publicly declare his retirement from cricket. He will then decide which offers he has received to become a member of the support staff of at least a couple of teams he would accept.
In fact, during the previous season, KKR’s Head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Eoin Morgan both considered Harbhajan’s recommendations while making squad selections.