"They have good hitters along with quality spinners" - Harbhajan Singh predicts the winner of IPL 2022 opener

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has backed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to trump Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2022 opener on Saturday (March 26).

Harbhajan believes the Shreyas Iyer-led side have young cricketers at their disposal who have the ability to make telling contributions on any given day.

Speaking to Shoaib Akhtar on Sportskeeda's new show 'SK Uncensored', Harbhajan said:

"I think it's KKR because they are a young side and boast decent players. They have good hitters along with two quality spinners. Hence, I feel KKR will beat CSK."

Incidentally, the 41-year-old veteran off-spinner has plied trades for both Kolkata and Chennai in the past. When asked about which team holds a special place in his heart, Harbhajan said:

"Both teams have a special place. Both franchises took care of me when I played for them. When I played for CSK, the fans poured in all their love. I was with the KKR side last year. Although I didn't play much due to fitness issues, I tried to help them mentally as much as possible. Both teams have given me immense love but if i have to pick one team that will win, I will have to go with KKR. They have the right team to win."

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar also echoed Harbhajan's words, backing the Knight Riders to start their IPL 2022 campaign with a win.

---

"The amount of money they are getting is very much justified" - Shoaib Akhtar on players earning in crores in IPL

The Rawalpindi Express, as Akhtar is famously known, feels that cricketers earning huge pay cheques is justified in view of the monumental pressure they have to bear.

The 46-year-old former cricketer said:

"One thing that takes a toll on the body is traveling. Traveling from one place to another, packing and unpacking in hotels, there is pressure on everything. It is very tough on the cricketers, especially the youngsters."

Akhtar then went onto add:

"It is super tough more so because most of the players are coming on the back of a heavy season. The amount of money they are getting is very much justified. But it is extremely tough. We couldn't have done it."

Ishan Kishan was the costliest player in the IPL 2022 mega auction. The five-time champion Mumbai Indians shelled out ₹15.25 crore to reacquire the wicket-keeper batsman.