“He was very supportive, welcomed us into the team” – KL Rahul pays tribute to retired Harbhajan Singh

Team India opener KL Rahul revealed that Harbhajan Singh, who announced his retirement on Friday, was very supportive towards youngsters like him when they were new to the Indian dressing room. Rahul also termed Harbhajan one of the greatest spinners to have played for India.

41-year-old Harbhajan announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Friday through an emotional video message on his YouTube channel.

Praising Harbhajan, Rahul said at a press conference ahead of the India-South Africa Test series:

“Bhajju pa has been one of the greatest spinners for our country. For us youngsters, when we came into the dressing room, he was very supportive and really welcomed us into the team.”

Wishing Harbhajan a happy post-retirement life, the 29-year-old added:

“I would like to wish him all the very best for the next chapter of his career. We have had some great times. A big thank you to him and wish him all the best.”

Rahul made his India debut in 2014 while Harbhajan played his last match for the country in 2016.

Harbhajan Singh’s emotional retirement message

Harbhajan took to his Twitter handle to inform he has decided to call it a day. Sharing a retirement post, he wrote:

“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.”

Along with the tweet, Harbhajan also shared a link to his YouTube video, in which he recalled his journey as a cricketer. The ‘Turbanator’ said:

“From the lanes to Jalandhar to becoming the Turbanator of Indian cricket, my 25-year-old journey has been a beautiful one. Nothing motivated me more than wearing the India jersey and stepping on to the cricket ground. But there comes a time when you have to take a tough call and move on in life.”

The former cricketer revealed he made up his mind to retire from the game during the IPL 2021 season, where he represented the Kolkata Knight Riders. Harbhajan added:

“I announce my retirement from all forms of the game today. I haven’t been playing active cricket for a while now. Because of my commitment with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), I wanted to stay with them during the IPL season. But during the season itself I had made up my mind about retirement.”

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Having made his international debut back in 1998, Harbhajan went on to represent India in 103 Tests, 236 ODIs and 28 T20Is, claiming 711 international scalps.