"Happy Birthday bhajju pa" - Cricket fraternity celebrates Harbhajan Singh's 41st birthday

"The Turbanator," as Harbhajan Singh is widely known, celebrates his 41st birthday today (July 3). The veteran off-spinner, who last featured for India in 2016, continues to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Born in Jalandhar, a city in Punjab, Harbhajan Singh is one of the most decorated spinners to play the sport. Wishes gallored from all corners as soon as the clock ticked the midnight hour. From Sachin Tendulkar to Suresh Raina to Wasim Jaffer, Indian cricketers led the chart.

Former India cricketer VVS Laxman, who played an exemplary role in the historic 2001 Test against Australia where Harbhajan scalped a hat-trick, also wished the latter a great year ahead on the occasion of his 41st birthday.

Sachin Tendulkar, who has witnessed Harbhajan Singh's growth as a cricketer from close quarters, posted a beautiful picture to wish the cricketer well.

Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra also extended birthday wishes to the legendary spinner.

Harbhajan Singh is currently the highest wicket-taking spinner among active cricketers

A young rookie from Punjab grabbed attention when he became the first Indian to claim a Test hat-trick in the historic Test match against Australia at Eden Gardens in 2001. He is also the second-highest wicket-taker among Indian spinners after Anil Kumble with 417 Test scalps. Harbhajan Singh also has 269 ODI wickets and 25 T20I wickets to his name.

The off-spinner also played a key role during India's victorious 2007 T20 World Cup campaign as well as the 2011 World Cup triumph under MS Dhoni.

Harbhajan Singh was last seen in action during the now-suspended IPL 2021, plying his trade for two-time IPL champion KKR. He is expected to travel to the UAE when the tournament resumes in the UAE in September-October.

About the author

Ankush is a cricket journalist at Sportskeeda covering news, listicles, features, and exclusives. A graduate in Commerce and an accountant by qualification, Ankush followed his true calling for sports journalism, and today, has over 8 years of experience having working for the likes of Sportzwiki and Cricfit. Ankush places a very high emphasis on factual accuracy in his articles and believes in representing the true image of the story. Writing in the simplest and most easy-to-understand language possible, especially for those not well-versed with English, is one of his strengths.

Ankush, who captained his state in the National School games, is a big fan of Ravichandran Ashwin. He admires his unconventional thinking and his eagerness to keep learning despite being a legend of the game. His favorite cricket team is Australia because of their mentality and fighting spirit, and them beating India in the 2003 World Cup final left a lasting impression on him.

Apart from watching and covering cricket, Ankush also likes to read books whenever possible.

Know More