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Harbhajan Singh Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth3 July 1980

Age44 Years

BirthplaceJalandhar, Punjab, India

ProfessionCricketer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseGeeta Basra

FamilyFather - Sardar Sardev Singh Plaha; Mother - Avtar Kaur; Multiple sisters

Harbhajan Singh Biography

Harbhajan Singh is an Indian cricketer-turned-public figure known for his off-spin bowling, aggressive on-field persona, and a long international career. A

Early life and background

Harbhajan Singh Plaha was born on 3 July 1980 in Jalandhar, Punjab, India. Raised in Jalandhar, he completed schooling at several local institutions including Jai Hind Model School, Government Model Senior Secondary School, Doaba School and Parvati Jain High School. He finished his formal education at the higher secondary level. Harbhajan comes from a Sikh family; his father, Sardar Sardev Singh Plaha, is described as a businessman and his mother is Avtar Kaur. He has multiple sisters.

Career

Harbhajan emerged as a specialist off-spin bowler and made his international debut in 1998, playing his first Test on 25 March 1998 against Australia in Bengaluru and his first One Day International on 17 April 1998 against New Zealand in Sharjah. He later appeared in Twenty20 Internationals, debuting on 1 December 2006 against South Africa in Johannesburg. Over a career that spanned more than two decades, Harbhajan became known for a competitive and aggressive presence on the field and for a favourite delivery described as a doosra.

A turning point in his career came in 2001 when he was included in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy team by Sourav Ganguly following an injury to Anil Kumble. That period marked significant success: he achieved the distinction of taking the third-highest number of wickets among off-spinners globally and the highest number by an Indian off-spinner. He recorded a notable record of dismissing Australian batsman Ricky Ponting ten times in Test cricket and became the first Indian to take a Test hat-trick against Australia in 2001.

Harbhajan's international playing career included a final Test appearance on 12 August 2015 against Sri Lanka in Galle, a last ODI on 25 October 2015 versus South Africa at Wankhede Stadium, and a final T20 international on 3 March 2016 against the United Arab Emirates in Dhaka. He wore the No. 3 shirt for India and also carried the same number while representing Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. Domestically he represented Punjab and also captained Punjab’s Ranji Trophy side; he played county cricket for Surrey in England in 2005.

Across his career he received several honors: he won the Arjuna Award in 2003 and was conferred the Padma Shri in 2009. He was named Test cricketer of the year on three occasions and was appointed Deputy Superintendent in Punjab Police in recognition of his performances.

Public profile

Off the field, Harbhajan has been involved in business and entertainment ventures. He opened a film production company, BM Media Productions, in 2013 to work on Punjabi films. His commercial endorsements have included brands such as Reebok, PepsiCo, Hublot and Royal Stag among others. Known hobbies include music alongside his continuing association with cricket.

Harbhajan married actress Geeta Basra on 29 October 2015. The couple have a daughter, Hinaya Heer Plaha. Harbhajan is based in Mumbai. Personal details noted in public profiles include a listed height of approximately 5'11" (180 cm), dark brown eyes and black hair, and a food preference described as non-vegetarian.

Controversies and public moments

His competitive nature on the field has at times been accompanied by controversies. Notable incidents referenced in public records include an on-field episode in 2008 involving S. Sreesanth during the IPL, and public criticism following a commercial that sparked protests among some Sikhs. In 2022 he took the oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha, reflecting a role in public life beyond sport.

Latest updates

Harbhajan announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on 24 December 2021, marking the end of a 23-year international journey. Subsequent public developments reported include social-media related controversies in 2024 and comments he made about his relationship with former teammates. These events have continued to shape his public profile after retirement.
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Recent Work

Retirement announcement

Announced retirement from all forms of cricket on 24 December 2021 after a 23-year career.

2021
Rajya Sabha oath

Took oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha on 18 July 2022.

2022
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Career Highlights

  1. Test debut: 25 March 1998 vs Australia
  2. ODI debut: 17 April 1998 vs New Zealand
  3. First Indian to take a Test hat-trick against Australia (2001)
  4. Third-highest number of wickets by an off-spinner globally; highest among Indian off-spinners
  5. Arjuna Award (2003) and Padma Shri (2009)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Harbhajan Singh born?

3 July 1980

What is Harbhajan Singh known for?

Cricketer

What is Harbhajan Singh’s marital status?

Married

Who is Harbhajan Singh married to?

Geeta Basra