Shakib Al Hasan is now all set to be available for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during the entire IPL 2021. Yesterday the legendary Bangladesh all-rounder was acquired by KKR for ₹3.20 crores in the IPL auction.
As per an ESPNCricinfo report, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has given leave to Shakib Al Hassan during next month’s Test series against Sri Lanka so he can take part in the upcoming IPL season.
Shakib Al Hasan will play the entire IPL 2021 season with KKR
After Shakib was acquired by KKR in the auction, he immediately wrote to the Bangladesh Cricket Board asking for permission as he wants to play IPL instead of Tests which the board accepted. Meanwhile, Shakib returns to IPL after missing the last edition due to the ban imposed by ICC for failing to report a potential ban.
“Shakib wants to play T20s at the moment,” Khan told Prothom Alo. “He doesn’t want to play Tests. He has asked for a leave for the IPL. We also don’t want to force someone who doesn’t want to play Tests, which is why the board has decided to grant him the leave”, said BCB cricket operations head Akram Khan.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh was supposed to play a Test series against Sri Lanka but it had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the series is being planned in April to keep up with the ICC’s extended World Test Championship (WTC) deadline. The IPL 2021 is also likely to begin in April which is why Shakib Al Hasan asked the BCB to grant him a leave.
This suggests that Shakib Al Hasan is keen to perform at his best for KKR and help them win their third IPL title. The all-rounder was ecstatic to join KKR again as he was part of both their side who won IPL titles in 2012 and 2014.
Also Read: IPL 2021 Auction: KKR Bags Harbhajan Singh & Ben Cutting, Makes Smart Move To Fill In Gaps
Furthermore, with two ICC T20I world cups around the corner cricketers are slowly shifting their focus towards the shortest format of the game. As far as Shakib is concerned he might return for the white ball series against Sri Lanka that will take place after 2 Test matches.
Also Read: Who is Riley Meredith? Punjab King’s New Found Paceman For IPL 2021
