New Delhi, July 2: Harbhajan Singh is regarded as one of the greatest off-spin bowlers in cricket history. He played a crucial role in many memorable victories for India. Known as ‘The Turbanator’, he is the first Indian off-spinner to take over 400 wickets in Test cricket.
Born on July 3, 1980, in Jalandhar, Punjab, Harbhajan has mesmerized top batsmen with his skills. His passion for cricket began in childhood. After impressive performances at the domestic level, he made his international debut against Australia in March 1998.
However, after playing for about a year and a half, Harbhajan was dropped from the team. At that time, Anil Kumble was the star spinner for India. Despite Kumble’s injury, other players were given opportunities over Harbhajan, which left him disheartened.
In 2000, Harbhajan faced personal tragedy with the passing of his father. This left him responsible for his mother and five sisters. Struggling to find a place in the team and facing financial difficulties, he contemplated quitting cricket to become a truck driver in the United States.
Fortunately, his sisters supported him, and he decided to play in the Ranji Trophy, where he took 28 wickets in a single season.
In 2001, before the home Test series against Australia, Kumble was injured, allowing Harbhajan to return to the team at the request of captain Sourav Ganguly. He took 32 wickets in three matches during this series, including a hat-trick in Kolkata. This performance solidified his position as one of India’s leading spinners.
Known for his aggression and fighting spirit, Harbhajan was part of the victorious teams in the T20 World Cup 2007 and the ODI World Cup 2011. He contributed not only with his bowling but also with his bat when needed. His ‘doosra’ delivery became one of his most dangerous and mysterious bowling variations, consistently deceiving batsmen.
Harbhajan played 103 Test matches for India, taking 417 wickets and scoring 2,224 runs at an average of 18.22, including two centuries and nine half-centuries. In 236 ODIs, he claimed 269 wickets and scored 1,237 runs. He also took 25 wickets in 28 T20 matches.
In the IPL, Harbhajan took 150 wickets and scored 833 runs in 163 matches, winning four IPL titles. He was part of the Mumbai Indians from 2008 to 2017, then played for Chennai Super Kings in 2018 and 2019, and for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2021. After his cricket career, he ventured into politics and also appeared as a commentator.
For his outstanding contributions to cricket, Harbhajan was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2003 and the Padma Shri in 2009. The University of Sorbonne in France awarded him an honorary Ph.D. degree.
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