What’s the story?
Out-of-favour Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has been appointed the captain of Punjab for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament which begins on January 29.
All-rounder Gurkeerat Singh Mann has been named deputy of Harbhajan for the tournament.
Incidentally, this would be a comeback of sorts for the veteran off-spinner who returns to competitive cricket after a period of 8 months.
In case you didn’t know...
The Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament is a regional tournament played between states and this presents a good opportunity for the different IPL franchises to look at Indian players ahead of the auctions.
The BCCI had earlier decided to scrap the Twenty20 format and replace it with a new inter-zonal league.
According to the new format, the new tournament will now be divided into two stages - an inter-state one, followed by main inter-zonal one. In the first stage, the different states would play T20 matches among themselves after which every zone would have a board consisting of one representative from each of the state associations. The members would then appoint a CEO and selectors who would pick a team for the second and main stage.
The heart of the matter
Punjab would play their first match on January 29 against Haryana at Amtar, Himachal Pradesh. This would then be followed by matches against Delhi on January 30 at Dharamshala, against J&K on January 31 at Dharamshala, against Services on February 1 at Dharamshala and against Himachal Pradesh at Dharamshala on February 2.
Harbhajan who has enjoyed considerable success as the captain of Punjab would look to gain some invaluable match practice before the IPL commences. Historically, leadership has buoyed the veteran to perform better and this has helped Punjab many times in the previous seasons.
Also, Punjab is part of the north zone and hence would face a considerable threat from different teams, which includes Delhi and Haryana.
Harbhajan himself would want to put up a decent show with the ball with one eye on the Test series against Australia which begins next month. His record against Australia is well documented and thus the selectors could be tempted into giving him another go if results go in his favour. What next?
Punjab has been bolstered by the presence of Harbhajan and this presents a win-win situation for both sides. With his experience and guile, the veteran off-spinner would want to remind everyone of his pedigree, and would then hope of winning a recall to the National side.
Sportskeeda’s Take
With the Indian selectors looking at experience and with them giving importance to domestic performances, Harbhajan’s inclusion could well give him a fresh lease of life.
The ball is now firmly in his court!
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