Not just the opponents on the field, Shakib-al Hasan has had to battle with off-the-field issues as well in the last few years.

Making a comeback to cricket via the Bangabandhu T20 Cup last year, after serving a ban for breaching the ICC anti-corruption code, a thigh injury cut short his stint in the home Test series versus the West Indies.

Recruited by the Kolkata Knight Riders at the auction this February, Shakib was looking forward to a fruitful stint, but the fallout with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over his participation in the IPL has once again dragged the ace all-rounder into a controversy.

Shakib chose the IPL over Bangladesh’s upcoming Tests in Sri Lanka. News is that he has been given an NOC to play in the IPL only till May 18 while the final of the T20 tournament is scheduled to be held on May 30.

Shakib is aware about the controversies around him but insisted on his innocence. “I don’t think about those controversies, to be honest,” Shakib told The Telegraph on Thursday.

“It’s unfortunate that when something happens, I get dragged into them. But it’s not that I want them... Somehow they just happen.

“But yeah, I need to make sure that from the next time onwards, I stay careful so that I don’t get dragged into controversies.”

At present, however, Shakib’s focus is on performing for KKR, a team he has represented earlier as well. He understands that making his way into the XI would be tough given KKR’s rich overseas contingent, but gaining tips from Harbhajan Singh is something Shakib looks forward to in the coming weeks.

“It will be a very good experience for me this year. Harbhajan’s a legend, so I think I’ll be able to learn many things from him.

“I’ll also have more ideas about the conditions and wickets here after talking with him and how I should go about when I get a chance to play,” said the only Bengali-speaking cricketer in the KKR squad.

The teams will not be able to play at their home grounds this season due to the circumstances, so staying in Calcutta and playing at Eden Gardens is something Shakib would miss a lot.

“Of course, I’ll miss playing at the Eden. But you can’t control the situation.

“Besides, so many friends and family members come to meet me every time I am in Calcutta. This won’t happen this year and I’ll really miss that.

“Other than that, Bengali food is available in hotels, but having it in Calcutta is something different,” he said.