Shakib Al Hasan, the great Bangladeshi all-rounder, revealed a personal goal for the coming season of Indian Premier League, saying he wishes to score a century and also pick up a five-wicket haul in the same match.
Shakib will be making his comeback to the IPL this year. He had missed out on the last year’s edition of the IPL due to the ICC imposed a ban on him but will be turning up for two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021.
Shakib recently arrived on Indian shores and completed the necessary quarantine period in his hotel room. He is now preparing for KKR’s opening encounter on April 11 in Chennai versus Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan reveals goal for IPL 2021
While he was in quarantine, in a video chat with ESPNcricinfo, Shakib spoke about the IPL 2021 and answered a few questions and queries during a rapid-fire round.
The great cricketer revealed his personal goal for the season, saying he would love to score a century and take a five-wicket haul in the exact match.
Shakib further said that he wants to compete against defending champions and tournament favourites, Mumbai Indians (MI).
The cricketer also stated that the toughest part of cricket amid the coronavirus pandemic and bio-secure bubbles is being confined to a hotel room while in strict isolation.
“Contributing to the team’s winning cause and scoring a hundred and getting a five-for in the same match,” replied Shakib to a query when asked about his personal goal for the IPL 2021 and the record he would love to break in the coming season.
Shakib is reuniting with KKR after being picked at the recent IPL auction in Chennai for a sum of INR 3.20 crores. He was part of KKR’s two title-winning campaigns back in 2012 and 2014.
Shakib played his part with both bat and ball in those two seasons, especially in 2014 when he scored 227 runs at an average of 32.42 and strike-rate of 149.34, besides taking 11 wickets and delivering his overs at just 6.68 runs per over.
Ahead of the IPL 2018, Shakib and KKR parted ways, and the cricketer played for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). In his overall IPL career, Shakib has scored 746 runs at a strike-rate of 126.65 and taken 59 wickets while maintaining an economy rate of 7.46.
Shakib’s inclusion adds to the depth in the all-rounder category and enhances the quality of KKR’s spin ranks. Shakib has the range of a proper batsman, who can provide late-order blitz too, and just as same the resolve of a powerful left-arm tweaker that can be employed at the game’s different stages.
As a batsman, Shakib can handle pace just as well as he does spin. And as a bowler, his control isn’t limited to the occasions he faces up to a right-hand batsman. A smart operator, Shakib can use his variations – in terms of angle, speeds and trajectory – to keep even the left-handers in check, especially if the track has something on offer for the spinners.
The 14th edition of the IPL begins on April 9, with MI taking on their longstanding rivals Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The tournament, which features 60 matches spanned over the best part of two months, will see all teams playing games on neutral venues due to bio-security reasons, including travel restrictions, within the ongoing pandemic.
The matches will be played in six cities across India. Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad will play host to the games behind closed doors, with no crowds allowed to enter in order to avoid the potential spread of the coronavirus.
