Harbhajan Singh, the ‘Turbanator’, has finally announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. He made the announcement over Twitter. Also, sharing a video on YouTube, the off-spinner explained: “Today, I am retiring from all formats of cricket. Mentally, I retired earlier, but couldn’t announce it.

In any case, I have not been playing active cricket for some time but due to my commitment with Kolkata Knight Riders, I wanted to stay with them for the IPL (2021) season. But during the season, I had already made up my mind to retire.”

Harbhajan was an integral and very important part of the Indian team across all formats of the game in the 2000s. He won the 2007 ICC WT20 and the 2011 ICC World Cup with the team under captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He shot to fame in 2001 with his role in helping India beat Steve Waugh’s all-conquering Australian side in a home Test series.

He picked up 32 wickets in the series, which included a hat-trick in the landmark 2nd Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, which was the first by an Indian bowler.

“All good things come to an end and today as I bid adieu to the game that has given me everything in life, I would like to thank everyone who made this 23-year-long journey beautiful and memorable. My heartfelt thank you. Grateful,” Harbhajan wrote on Twitter.

Harbhajan made his Test debut as a 17-year-old against Australia in Bengaluru in March 1998. Picking up two wickets in an eight-wicket defeat.

A month later after Test debut, the Ludhiana lad made his ODI debut against New Zealand. However, just like his Test debut failure, the ODI debut was also forgettable as he could only pick up a single wicket, his T20 debut on December 1; 2006 against South Africa.

He would go on to pick up 417 wickets in 103 Test matches and remains India’s fourth highest wicket-taker in Test cricket; his last Test was against Sri Lanka on August 12, 2015. Harbhajan also turned out in 236 ODIs from 1998 to 2015, taking 269 wickets at 33.35 and an economy rate of 4.31, last ODI against South Africa on October 25, 2015.

He played 28 T20Is, taking 25 wickets at an average of 25.32 and an economy rate of 6.20, last T20 against UAE on March 4, 2016. His overall tally of 707 international wickets is the second-highest for India, behind Anil Kumble’s 953.

Harbhajan was a part of the India team, which achieved a lot of success away from home under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly. He is among the select few Indian cricketers who have played two ICC World Cup finals, losing to Australia in 2003 and winning against Sri Lanka in 2011.

RECORDS
First Indian to take a Test hattrick
Most successful off-spinner of India (417 wickets)

Ganguly stated in a BCCI press release: “I congratulate Harbhajan Singh on a remarkable career. He has faced several challenges in his life, but Bhajji is not the one to give up. He has overcome many hurdles and put many setbacks behind him to rise every time.

What inspired me the most about him was his hunger to perform. His strength was his guts and courage. He was always very passionate, and his immense self-belief meant he never shied away from a fight. He also kept the dressing room atmosphere light and that is something really important.” Harbhajan has had great success in the IPL too, taking 150 wickets in 163 matches, fifth on the all-time list.

Harbhajan also took 20 wickets in 22 Champions League T20 matches, leading Mumbai Indians to victory in the competition in 2011.

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This T20 World Cup is a little special. India were to host it, till the Coronavirus pandemic pushed it out to the UAE and Oman. Then, even as India emerged as one of the favourites – as per the bookies, the other favourites being England, with the West Indians also wanting to be third-time winners – coach Ravi Shastri announced he has had enough of coaching and he wants out, after the Cup. That itself was a hard pill to swallow, till captain Virat Kohli announced he will quit T20 captaincy after the Cup.
All that had really spiced up things, till the BCCI named former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni as ‘Mentor’ of the team, a completely new job created by the board. This was possibly the brainwave of Jay Shah, secretary of the BCCI, as well as convener of the selection committee. Board President Sourav Ganguly had to nod in agreement. Of course, Shah made it clear that Dhoni’s appointment is only for this World Cup.
Whether Dhoni’s inclusion will add to tensions in the dressing room or resolve it, only time can tell, but the fact that Dhoni will have more than the role of a mere ‘mentor’ is sure. The championships start on October 17 and end on November 14. In the last T20 (men’s) World Cup final in India in 2016 the West Indies had beaten England.
There will be 12 teams in for the Super 12 round. There will be two Super groups with two qualifiers in each group from the eight-team qualifiers.
Group 1 of the Super 12 contains defending champions West Indies, Australia, South Africa and England. Two qualifiers will be added to this.
Group 2 has Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan and India. Afghanistan’s entry was in severe doubt after the Taliban takeover of the country, but recently the Qatar foreign minister made a request to the Taliban to allow the cricketers to play, and even as we write this, the Afghan team is practising in Doha.
It is interesting to note that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, two full Test playing nations, have also been relegated to the qualifying stage, on the basis of their recent records. Other teams in the qualifying stage are Ireland, the Netherlands, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Oman and Scotland.
INDIA
The selection committee, headed by Chetan Sharma, made a few changes in the Indian team announced on September 20.
Changes in the squad are as follows:
India left out Yuzvendra Chahal (right-arm leg-spinner) and Shikhar Dhawan (batsman). Coming back after four years is Ravichandran Ashwin (right arm off-break).
The brand new face is of 30-year-old Varun Chakravarthy (leg-break googly bowler) from Tamil Nadu, a KKR player. This man, trained as an architect, seems to have started late, having starred in a Tamil sports movie before debuting against Sri Lanka in the second tier of the game in July this year.
This shows that the Indian team has given place to an extra spinner in the team, because UAE pitches would tend to help spinners.
THE FULL SQUAD
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Kannaur Lokesh Rahul (or KL Rahul), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ishan Kishan (reserve Wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami.
India’s overall record, despite recent failures, has been good, though India has never won any ICC trophy under Kohli. However, this being his last as skipper of the T20 team, there could be an extra adrenaline rush around. Or will there? They have played a lot of cricket recently in the UAE and know the pitches by heart. That is an advantage.
ENGLAND
England, the other favourites, will be in a bit of a spot on spinning tracks, but they might be able to make up this lacuna through their strong batting line-up. Their top batsmen, including Jason Roy, Jos Butler and Eoin Morgan, are strong on almost any wicket and the team will depend heavily on how they deliver. With the ball, England has to depend only on Adil Rashid as a specialist spinner. There is a possibility of adding Moeen Ali into the side to add depth.
Morgan will surely have some selection issues on hand, but Liam Livingstone, who recently hit England’s fastest-ever international century against Pakistan from just 42 deliveries, looks a sure shot in the first XI. The 2-1 series win over Pakistan makes Stuart Broad sure that England has a very good chance of lifting the trophy.
WEST INDIES
The country’s other forms in cricket maybe in the doldrums, but they have shown spunk and great mettle in the T20 format. Led by Kieron Pollard they show a strong battling line-up and a great set of all-rounders. The old magic of Chris Gayle is there, as is Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo. On their day, they are an unbeatable bunch.
One criticism is their over-dependence on boundaries and their inability or dislike for singles. On slower UAE outfields, this attitude may be a problem.
AUSTRALIA
This is not the same Australia. Their form of late has been placid, and unimpressive. But they will be looking to settle scores with the West Indies in their group, having lost 1-4 the series to the Caribbeans side this summer. Interestingly, they might have put a bit more faith in Ashton Agar, a left-arm spinner, who also has the ability to bat at six and seven.
However, Australia are one of those teams that can never be taken for granted, whatever their current form.
AFGHANISTAN
The very fact that they have been placed in the main group, and not in the qualifiers, makes this team a special dark horse. T20 has been the team’s strength and a number of their players have been playing regular cricket in the UAE. It is a strong group, so whoever they beat, apart from the qualifiers, will be an upset. Actually the team has nothing to lose and everything to gain. That is a dangerous thing.

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