Playing a senior game for the first time since the 2019 IPL, the former India spinner came agonisingly close to the perfect return
Harbhajan Singh nearly marked his first professional cricket match for 699 days in the perfect fashion as Kolkata Knight Riders beat Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The former India spinner hasn't been seen since the 2019 Indian Premier League final when Chennai Super Kings lost to Mumbai Indians.
He missed the 2020 edition due to personal reasons but was picked up by KKR during the mini-auction.
In their opening match of the tournament against Hyderabad, the 40-year-old - a veteran of 1,408 wickets across his career - was handed the new ball by captain Eoin Morgan.
❌ DROP ❌
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) April 11, 2021
Harbhajan - playing his first game in nearly two years - is denied an early wicket as Cummins spills Warner...
...but #SRH skipper is then caught behind off Prasidh for three!
📺 Watch 👉 https://t.co/bT0CP9Q8No
📋 Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/q0V9y60dXF pic.twitter.com/D0VnwRxeTn
After one run came from the opening three deliveries, the decision almost paid dividends.
Australia opener and Hyderabad skipper Warner played at a delivery that stuck in the pitch, with the leading edged heading towards the gully.
But fellow countryman Pat Cummins couldn't cling on, diving forward to take the catch two-handed but spilling it at the last.
Though Warner (3) was dismissed the following over by Prasidh Krishna, it denied Harbhajan a fairytale return to the sport which he has served for 24 years.
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