Harbhajan retires from all forms of cricket

Harbhajan Singh has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, the former India offspinner announced on Friday (December 24). The 41-year-old, who featured in three games for Kolkata Knight Riders in the first half of IPL 2021, last played for India in March 2016. 

"There comes a time in your life when you must take some tough decisions and move ahead. I have been meaning to make this announcement for the last few years, but I was waiting for the right moment to share it with all of you: today, I am retiring from all formats of cricket. In many ways, I had already retired as a cricketer, but hadn't been able to make a formal announcement," he said.

"I haven't been an active cricketer for a while. But I had a commitment to Kolkata Knight Riders, and wanted to spend the (2021) IPL season with them. But during the season itself, I had made up my mind to retire."

The offspinner from Punjab, who made his India debut during a Test against Australia in Bangalore in 1998, played 103 Tests, 236 ODIs and 28 T20Is for India and claimed 711 wickets in his 18-year international career. 

Harbhajan also played 163 IPL games, winning three titles with Mumbai Indians and one with Chennai Super Kings in 2018.

"It has been a beautiful journey over 25 years, right from the gullies of Jalandhar to becoming the Turbanator of India. Nothing has been more motivating for me than stepping out on the field while wearing the India jersey.

"Like every (Indian) cricketer, even I wished to bid goodbye in an India jersey, but fate had something else in store for me. Irrespective of the side I represented, I have always given my 100% commitment to ensure my team finishes on top - whether it was India, Punjab, Mumbai Indians, CSK, KKR or the county teams of Surrey and Essex.

"If you ask me about my cricket career, my first real happiness was the hat-trick I took in Kolkata, becoming the first Indian bowler to do so in a Test match. I also got 32 wickets in the three Tests in that series, which is still a record. Following this, the T20 World Cup win 2007 and the ODI World Cup win in 2011 were most important for me. Those were moments that I can neither forget nor express in words as to how big that happiness was for me."

He became the first Indian bowler to pick up a hattrick (against Australia at Eden Gardens in 2001) in Test cricket. On top of that, he also won the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa and 2011 50-over World Cup in India. Anil Kumble is the only Indian with more international wickets than Harbhajan.