Eden brings the best in me, says Shakib Al Hasan

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So what if Sourav Ganguly is no more seen in Kolkata Knight Riders colours at Eden Gardens! Kolkatans now find themselves with another ‘Bangali’ to cheer for although the latter hails from the other side of the border.

Shakib Al Hasan has become a darling for the Eden crowd, especially after his all-round efforts on Friday against Rajasthan Royals, which guided the Knight Riders to their second successive victory this season.

For both Shakib and KKR fans, there could not have been a better way to celebrate the Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year’s Day).

By his own admission, there were butterflies in his stomach when he was about to bowl for the first time at Eden last time around. But after a year, the ‘City of Joy’ is slowly on the way to becoming Shakib’s second home.

“I was a little nervous while bowling (here) for the first time. But that nervousness is no more there. It has died out. Rather it had to because I’ve been playing here since my under-15 days and conditions too are similar to that of my country. So, nowadays I do feel this is my second home,” the former Bangladesh skipper said.

So far in IPL 5, KKR have had a tendency to tinker with their overseas players in the playing XI.
But churning out such all-round performances consistently would cement Shakib’s place.

In fact, there were lots of talks when the Knights took the field in their first two matches without the 25-year-old, who was adjudged player of the tournament this Asia Cup.

Shakib, however, remains unperturbed with decisions of the team management. “It’s the job of the coach and captain.

They are to decide whom to pick and whom to drop. My job is to play for the team and contribute in all three departments,” he made it clear.

Shakib, however, reminds that a slip at this stage could again make the scenario tougher for KKR. “We do have the ability to go all the way. But it’s also important for us to carry on with the winning momentum,” he stressed.