'Too old for selectors,' says Harbhajan Singh about his comeback to T20 cricket for India

Two-time World Cup winner - 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup - Harbhajan Singh believes he is fit and ready to play T20 cricket for India.

Two-time World Cup winner - 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup - Harbhajan Singh believes he is fit and ready to play T20 cricket for India.

It has been 4 years since the veteran off-spinner donned the blue jersey for India, however, he hasn’t lost the hopes of another comeback.

“I am ready. If I can bowl well in IPL, which is a very difficult tournament for bowlers because the grounds are smaller, and all the top players in world cricket play in the IPL,” ESPNCricinfo quoted Harbhajan as saying.

The 'Turbanator' last played for India in a T20I in the 2016 Asia Cup and has been consistent when it came to the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, the bowler said that the selectors did not have a look at him because they think he is too old.

“They will not look at me because they feel I am too old,” he said. “Also I don’t play any domestic cricket. [In the] Last four-five years they did not look at me even though I was doing well in the IPL, taking wickets and I had all my records to back my case.

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“It is very challenging to bowl against them and if you can do well against them in IPL, you can do well in international cricket. I have bowled predominantly in the powerplay and middle overs and got wickets,” he added.

Harbhajan has played for Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and is the joint third-highest wicket-taker in the league with 150 scalps to his name at an economy rate of 7.05.

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He believes that the IPL is the most difficult competition when it comes to T20 cricket and said that after performing in this tournament, he can make a comeback into the Indian side.

“In international cricket, not all teams have quality players like IPL teams, where every team has a top-six which is good. Yes, Australia, England, India have all got very good batting line-ups,” Harbhajan said.

“But if I can get Johnny Bairstow and David Warner in IPL, don’t you think I can get them in international cricket? But it is not in my hands. No one comes and talks to you in this present Indian set-up,” he added.

In his IPL career, Harbhajan played for Mumbai for ten seasons and was then brought by Chennai for his base price of INR 2 crore. In the 2019 season of the cash-rich event, the spinner managed to take 16 wickets from 11 matches at an economy of 7.09.

When it comes to the Indian side, Harbhajan still continues to be India’s highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. He has taken 417 wickets in 103 Tests and was also the first Indian bowler to claim a Test hat-trick - a feat he achieved against Australia in 2001.

In ODIs, the spinner has taken 269 wickets in 236 matches, and in T20Is, he has 25 wickets to his name in 28 appearances.