Published 16:34 IST, June 16th 2020
Sourav Ganguly the sole reason why I played 100 Tests, backed me the most: Harbhajan Singh
Sourav Ganguly: Harbhajan Singh, who has played under several captains, named the BCCI President as the captain who backed him the most in difficult times.
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Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has been the country's premier spinner for the major part of the last two decades. The 39-year-old has picked over 700 international wickets across all formats ever since he made his debut in 1998. However, Harbhajan Singh has not played a single international match for India since he last represented the ‘Men in Blue’ in 2016.
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Harbhajan Singh highlights importance of Sourav Ganguly in his career
Over the years, Harbhajan Singh has played under several captains. The veteran off-spinner made his debut under Mohammad Azharuddin. Then he went on to become a regular member of the Indian team under Sourav Ganguly. He also played under Rahul Dravid and then went on to be a part of the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup-winning campaigns under MS Dhoni. Harbhajan Singh has also played under Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli. In the IPL, he has played under Rohit Sharma during his stint with the Mumbai Indians.
Recently, Harbhajan Singh was asked which captain has had the most impact on his career on Aakash Chopra's YouTube show ‘Aakash Vani’. The 39-year-old was quick to take current BCCI President Sourav Ganguly's name. Harbhajan Singh said that Sourav Ganguly played a huge role in his career. He added that he was once at a stage in life where he didn’t know who was with him and who was not. Because people on his face were saying that they are with him, but many of them were not actually with him at the time. However, at the time, Sourav Ganguly backed him when he had zero backing.
Harbhajan Singh further said that the selectors were against him. He added that they told him a lot of things on his face which he cannot disclose. Harbhajan Singh went on to say that no amount of praise would be sufficient for Sourav Ganguly. He also said that if Sourav Ganguly was not the captain at the time, he doesn't know if any other captain could have backed him as much. Bhajji said that if any player has pushed his career the most, it is Sourav Ganguly. He also said that if Sourav Ganguly was not there, he would not have been able to play 100 Tests.
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IMAGE COURTESY: HARBHAJAN SINGH INSTAGRAM
16:34 IST, June 16th 2020