Legends League Cricket: Harbhajan, Irfan Pathan to lead Manipal Tigers, Bhilwara Kings

New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Legendary India spinner Harbhajan Singh will lead the Manipal Group-owned Manipal Tigers while former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan will captain LNJ Bhilwara Groups Bhilwara King team respectively in the upcoming Legends League Cricket (LLC), the organisers announced on Friday.

The veteran off-spinner, who was a member of the 2011 World Cup-winning side, has represented India in 28 T20 Internationals along with 103 Test matches and 236 ODIs.

"Playing alongside all great players over the years, I have picked the nuances of the game which has made me a better cricketer. As a cricketer, I did not get an opportunity to captain the team but this will be something I am really looking forward to. I love leading from the front and I hope I can do justice to the responsibility and faith shown in"me." said Harbhajan, skipper of Manipal Tigers.

Pathan won the Man of the Match during the historic finals of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007 and is also known as the Baroda Express, which called the captaincy a unique opportunity.

"You need to enjoy what you are doing and giving 100 percent to that effort is all that matters. This opportunity is unique but I am confident that we as a team will make some heads turn around. Watch out as we close on the team names for the draft," Irfan, the skipper of Bhilwara Kings, said.

Meanwhile, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir will lead Gujarat Giants and India Capitals respectively in the tournament.

"With an incredible line of captains in Harbhajan and Irfan and earlier we announced Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, every match that these cricketers will step out to play will be a 'paisa wasool matches'," said Raman Raheja, CEO and Co-Founder Legends League Cricket.

The upcoming edition of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) will be a four-team tournament and a 16-match affair. It will be played for the first time in India and will be hosted in six different cities.

The league will start on September 16 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata followed by Lucknow, New Delhi, Cuttack and Jodhpur. The venue for play-offs and finals are yet to be decided.