Coming from a five-month suspension over doping violation, Yusuf Pathan was roped in by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs. 1.9 crore. Starting at a base price of Rs. 75 lakh, the Baroda-based all-rounder found himself in the middle of some heavy bidding at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction on Saturday.
There were speculations that the 35-year-old all-rounder, who was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders for quite a while, would be bought back by his old franchise. But in the auction, it was SRH, which showed major interest in him.
Speaking to Sportstar after being picked by the new franchise, Yusuf said his target would be to deliver the goods. “I have always enjoyed playing in Hyderabad and it would be good to feature for Sunrisers,” Yusuf said.
The all-rounder, who has been out of India reckoning for a while now, admitted that Hyderabad has been his happy hunting ground. “I have played some good knocks there and I am looking forward to contributing to the team,” Yusuf said.
Yusuf is coming from a suspension after it was found that hed had ‘inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance (Terbutaline), which can be commonly found in cough syrups.’
Leaving the dark phase behind, Yusuf is now looking forward to play the Dhaka Premier League to get himself ready for the IPL. “I missed out on the Ranji Trophy after being suspended, so it would be good to play a few matches before the IPL. That would keep me ready for the tournament,” the seasoned cricketer said.
Earlier this week, Yusuf had told this publication that it would have good to go back to the old franchise — KKR — as that would give the players the home comfort.
But after heading to a new franchise, Yusuf is happy that he would be joined by his old colleagues Shakib al Hasan and Manish Pandey at Sunrisers. “We have played a lot of games at KKR and it is good to share the dressing room with them again,” he said, adding: “We are professional players and it won’t be much of a difference.”
Yusuf would like to keep it that way.
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