Harbhajan Singh facts for kids

Harbhajan Singh (born 3 July 1980), also known as Bhajji, is a famous former Indian cricketer. He was a skilled off-spin bowler who played for the Indian team from 1998 to 2016. After his cricket career, he became a politician and is now a Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha. Harbhajan has also worked as a film actor, a television personality, and a cricket commentator.

He played for the Punjab cricket team in domestic matches. In the Indian Premier League, he played for teams like Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, and Kolkata Knight Riders. Harbhajan was a key player in the Indian teams that won the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 Cricket World Cup. He also helped India share the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka. Besides his bowling, he was also a useful lower-order batsman, even scoring two centuries in Test matches.

Quick facts for kids Harbhajan Singh
Singh in 2015
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 April 2022
Preceded by	Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa
Constituency	Punjab
Personal details
Born	(1980-07-03) 3 July 1980 (age 44) Jalandhar, Punjab, India
Political party	Aam Aadmi Party
Spouse	Geeta Rani Basra ​ (m. 2015)​
Children	2
Residence	32, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road, Delhi
Occupation	Cricketer commentator actor politician
Cricket information Batting Right-handed Bowling Right-arm off-spin Role Bowler International information National side India (1998–2016) Test debut (cap 220) 25 March 1998 v Australia Last Test 12 August 2015 v Sri Lanka ODI debut (cap 113) 17 April 1998 v New Zealand Last ODI 25 October 2015 v South Africa ODI shirt no. 3 T20I debut (cap 3) 1 December 2006 v South Africa Last T20I 4 March 2016 v UAE T20I shirt no. 3 Domestic team information Years Team 1997/98–2018/19 Punjab 2005–2007 Surrey 2008–2017 Mumbai Indians (squad no. 3) 2012 Essex 2018–2020 Chennai Super Kings (squad no. 27) 2021 Kolkata Knight Riders (squad no. 27) Career statistics Competition Test ODI T20I FC Matches 103 236 28 198 Runs scored 2,224 1,237 108 4,255 Batting average 18.23 13.30 13.50 19.16 100s/50s 2/9 0/0 0/0 2/15 Top score 115 49 21 115 Balls bowled 28,580 12,479 612 48,055 Wickets 417 269 25 780 Bowling average 32.46 33.35 25.32 29.04 5 wickets in innings 25 3 0 41 10 wickets in match 5 0 0 8 Best bowling 8/84 5/31 4/12 8/84 Catches/stumpings 42/– 71/– 7/– 100/– Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  India ICC Cricket World Cup Winner 2011 India-Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Runner-up 2003 South Africa-Zimbabwe-Kenya ICC T20 World Cup Winner 2007 South Africa ICC Champions Trophy Winner 2002 Sri Lanka ACC Asia Cup Winner 2010 Sri Lanka Winner 2016 Bangladesh Runner-up 2004 Sri Lanka Source: ESPNcricinfo, 17 April 2019

Harbhajan Singh: Early Life and Family

Harbhajan Singh grew up in a Sikh family. He was the only son among five children. His father owned a factory and wanted him to focus on cricket. Harbhajan was first trained as a batsman. But after his first coach passed away, he switched to spin bowling. His new coach, Davinder Arora, said Harbhajan worked very hard.

After his father died in 2000, Harbhajan became the head of his family. He helped arrange marriages for three of his sisters. He later married actress Geeta Basra on October 29, 2015. They have a daughter, born in 2016, and a son, born in 2021.

Harbhajan's success in cricket brought him many awards and sponsorships. The Government of Punjab even offered him a special job. He also became a brand ambassador for eBikeGo.

Outside India, Harbhajan is sometimes called The Turbanator. This nickname comes from his skill in ending the opposing team's batting and because he wears a turban as a Sikh. In India, he is more commonly known as Bhajji. He was very popular, partly because of his fun personality and his iconic turban.

Harbhajan's Cricket Journey

Starting in Domestic Cricket

Harbhajan started playing cricket at a young age. He joined the Punjab Under-16s team when he was just 15. He took many wickets in his first matches. This led to him being selected for the national Under-19 team.

He made his first-class debut in 1997 for Punjab. He also played in the Under-19 World Cup in January 1998. Harbhajan continued to perform well in domestic games.

Success in the Indian Premier League

Harbhajan played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for many years.

• In 2009, he took 12 wickets for Mumbai Indians. He was one of the most economical bowlers.
• In 2010, he was Mumbai Indians' top wicket-taker with 17 wickets. His team reached the final.
• In 2011, he took 5 wickets for 18 runs against Chennai Super Kings. This was his best IPL bowling performance.
• He led the Mumbai Indians to win their first championship in the 2011 Champions League Twenty20. He was named man of the match.
• After playing for Mumbai Indians for 10 years, he joined Chennai Super Kings in 2018.
• In 2021, he was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders.

Harbhajan also captained the Manipal Tigers team in the Legends League Cricket, winning the 2023 title.

First Steps into International Cricket

Harbhajan was chosen to tour Australia in 1999–2000. He made his Test debut against Australia in 1998. He also made his One Day International (ODI) debut against New Zealand in Sharjah. At first, he struggled to find consistent success in international matches.

His father's death in 2000 made him consider quitting cricket. But he kept working hard. He was later selected for the National Cricket Academy to improve his skills.

The Famous 2001 Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Harbhajan bowling in the nets

In March 2001, Harbhajan got a big chance. India's main spinner, Anil Kumble, was injured. Harbhajan became the lead spinner for the series against Australia. Australia had won 16 Test matches in a row.

In the Second Test in Kolkata, Harbhajan made history. He took a Test hat-trick, becoming the first Indian to do so. He took three wickets in a row! He finished with 7 wickets in the first innings. India went on to win this amazing match after being forced to follow-on.

In the deciding Third Test in Chennai, Harbhajan continued his brilliant form. He took 7 wickets in the first innings and 8 wickets in the second innings. He ended the match with 15 wickets. India won the series 2–1. Harbhajan was named man of the series for taking 32 wickets. This performance made him India's top spinner.

International Career Highlights

After his success in 2001, Harbhajan became a regular in India's ODI team. He had some ups and downs, including a finger injury in 2003. But he always fought to come back stronger.

In 2004, he helped India win a Test series against Australia at home. He took 5 wickets in the second innings of the final Test in Mumbai. He also had a great performance against South Africa in 2004, taking 6 wickets in the second innings to win man of the match.

Harbhajan with India in 2006

In 2006, he had a tough tour of Pakistan, not taking any wickets in the Tests. But his ODI form remained strong. He took 5 wickets for 31 runs against England, helping India win.

He was part of the Indian team that won the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007. He played a key role in the semi-final against Australia.

Harbhajan bowling during India's two-match Test series against Australia in October 2010

In 2008, he had a great series against Sri Lanka, taking 16 wickets. He also performed well against Australia at home. He took his 300th Test wicket during this series. He was named in Wisden's Test team of the year.

In 2010, Harbhajan scored his first Test century against New Zealand. He scored 115 runs. In the next Test, he scored another century, becoming the first number 8 batsman to score back-to-back Test centuries.

Later International Career

After 2011, Harbhajan faced some injuries and was not always selected for the national team. However, he made comebacks.

• In 2015, he was included in the Test team against Bangladesh. He took 3 wickets and passed Wasim Akram in the list of most Test wickets.
• He also played for the ODI and T20I teams against Zimbabwe.
• He was part of the squad for the 2016 T20 World Cup in India, though he did not play any matches.

Harbhajan's Playing Style

Anil Kumble (pictured), Harbhajan's former Test captain and long-time bowling partner

Harbhajan is known as an attacking off-spin bowler. He controls the ball well and can change its speed and length. His main wicket-taking ball often surprises batsmen. Early in his career, his bowling action was checked, but it was cleared.

He also learned to bowl the doosra, a special delivery that spins away from the right-handed batsman. His action for this ball was also cleared by the ICC.

Harbhajan is one of the top off-spin wicket-takers in Test history. He has been very successful in India, winning many man of the match awards there. He is known for his energetic and expressive celebrations on the field.

Ricky Ponting (pictured) has been dismissed by Harbhajan ten times in Tests.

He has been particularly successful against Australian batsman Ricky Ponting, dismissing him ten times in Test matches.

Harbhajan also worked on his batting. Even though he is a bowler, he has scored several half-centuries and two centuries in Tests. He hits the ball aggressively, which makes his batting exciting to watch.

Political Career

In March 2022, Harbhajan Singh was chosen by the Aam Aadmi Party to be a member of the Rajya Sabha. This is one of the two houses of the Indian Parliament. He was elected without opposition. On July 18, 2022, he officially took his oath as a Member of Parliament.

Film and Television Appearances

Harbhajan Singh has also appeared in films and on television.

Films

Television

Images for kids

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  Singh with wife Geeta Basra at Rakesh Roshan's birthday bash in 2017