Happy Birthday Harbhajan Singh: From Test cricket to T20 pitch, how Harbhajan ruled the hearts of fans

Harbhajan Singh Birthday Special: “turbanator” This legendary off-spinner, popularly known as, took more than 700 wickets in international cricket. He was a key member of the Indian team that won the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup (ODI). Apart from this, he also played an important role in the historic Test series win against Australia in 2001.

In March 2022, Harbhajan Singh was nominated by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to represent the state of Punjab. He was elected unopposed and took oath as MP in July 2022. Even after retiring from international cricket, Harbhajan Singh continues to be in the headlines. He successfully created his new identity in cricket commentary, media and politics. He is currently a member of Rajya Sabha and is playing a big role representing Punjab.

Cricket career and early life

The most memorable moment of Harbhajan Singh’s career started from 2001. Initially his dream was to become a fast bowler, but later he adopted off-spin bowling and mastered this art. After making his international debut against Australia in March 1998, Harbhajan soon became the backbone of the Indian spin duo along with Anil Kumble.

2001 Border-Gavaskar Trophy

The biggest turning point in Harbhajan Singh’s career came in 2001 during the home Test series against Australia. Due to the injury of Anil Kumble, he got the responsibility of spin bowling of the team, which he performed brilliantly. In the Kolkata Test, he created history by becoming the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in Test cricket. In that three-match series, he led India to a historic victory by taking a total of 32 wickets. This performance is counted among the best individual performances in the history of Indian cricket.

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Harbhajan Singh left his mark even in limited overs

Apart from Test cricket, Harbhajan Singh was also India’s leading match-winner in limited overs (white ball matches) format. He was a key part of the Indian team that won the first ICC T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ICC Cricket World Cup (ICC) on home soil in 2011. His aggressive bowling and enthusiastic style in domestic cricket and IPL also made him a favorite of the people. He took 150 wickets in the IPL and won titles multiple times with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.