IPL 8: ‘I don’t mind batting up the order,’ says Harbhajan Singh

Mumbai: Out-of-favour India cricketer Harbhajan Singh – who smashed a 24-ball 64 against Kings XI Punjab here on Sunday – does not mind batting up the order for Mumbai Indians (MI) if needed.

From a lost plot (59 for the loss of six wickets), Harbhajan – the turbanator – almost pulled it back with unorthodox shots. He took the aerial route six times and hit five boundaries in his 19-ball 50.

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“If the team needs me to bat up the order, I will,” he said at the post match conference. On Tuesday, when MI is about to face Rajasthan Royals –unbeaten in the tournament so far – all eyes will be on Harbhajan despite the star presence of Rohit Sharma.

“Rohit is our best batsman and losing him upfront was a major setback,” he agreed.

Rohit was dismissed in the first over by Sandeep Sharma.

However, the new found of MI is Jagadeesha Suchith and Harbhajan spoke highly of the left-handed all-rounder.

“Suchith is one of those guys the world hasn’t seen much. We saw him spin the ball well during Ranji Trophy but didn’t know about his batting skills,” said the 34-year-old.

Apart from the solid show with the bat, Harbhajan also picked up two wickets, including the one of Virender Sehwag.