I wanted to be like Kapil Dev, but my physique had other plans, says Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh, the former India cricketer and current Rajya Sabha member, has opened up about his early cricket aspirations and the unexpected turn his career took. Born on July 3, 1980, in Jalandhar, Punjab, Harbhajan initially dreamed of following in the footsteps of legendary fast bowler Kapil Dev, but circumstances and his physical build led him down a different path.

Harbhajan revealed that his transition from fast bowling to off-spin came after receiving crucial advice during his formative years. He stated that someone suggested he should become a spinner, though he was initially unfamiliar with the discipline. The shift proved transformative for his international career, which spanned from 1998 to 2016, during which he became one of India's most successful bowlers.

"I wanted to be like Kapil Paaji (Kapil Dev), but I did not have the physique for that. Someone told me that I should become a spinner. To be honest, I did not even know what spin bowling was at the time. But once someone said it, the idea stayed in my mind, and I started trying to spin the ball a little. I did not even know how to hold the ball properly," Harbhajan said as quoted by News Nation.

"Gursharan, who still lives in my neighbourhood, was the one who advised me… so thank you, Gucchi Paaji, for that advice. I also wish I had taken batting a little more seriously at the international level. When I came into cricket, I could hit the ball well, but I was often in too much of a hurry. If I had shown a little more patience, I could have scored twice as many runs. In the later parts of my career, I took it a little more seriously – I scored two back-to-back centuries and was able to create a few records… I approached bowling with complete dedication, had I devoted even 15 per cent of that commitment to my batting, I would have scored a lot more runs and helped the team win more matches," he added.

Regrets about his batting approach at international level

In 2001, Harbhajan achieved a landmark moment by taking 32 wickets in a series and becoming the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in Test cricket. This achievement underscored the success of his transition from fast bowling aspirations to becoming a specialist off-spinner. His bowling career demonstrated the value of the early guidance he received.

Beyond his bowling accomplishments, Harbhajan reflected on his batting record with some regret. He acknowledged that he scored two Test centuries during his career but felt he could have achieved significantly more with greater application and patience at the crease. His candid assessment highlighted the contrast between his single-minded dedication to bowling and his more casual approach to batting during his international years.