A few years back, Harbhajan Singh selected his all-time XI. The video has reappeared online once more. Unexpectedly, the veteran off-spinner managed to pick up four Indian players but not a single Indian bowler. Harbhajan played in 103 tests, 236 ODIs, and 28 T20 Internationals over his long career as one of the best Indian spinners. Until Ravichandran Ashwin surpassed him in 2021, he was the most productive Indian off-spinner in Test matches. One of the select few players, Harbhajan, was a member of the victorious teams from the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup.
Harbhajan’s All-Time XI:
Sachin Tendulkar
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Making an all-time XI without the great Sachin Tendulkar is quite uncommon. Most people agree that Tendulkar was the greatest cricket icon ever. He was the most effective run-scorer of all time and the most complete batter of his era. Tendulkar didn’t seem to have any weak points in his performance. In every situation, he was able to make runs wherever in the world. From both feet and all around the wicket, he was able to score. Tendulkar, also known as “Master Blaster,” was a member of the 2011 World Cup-winning team. He participated in 463 ODI games and amassed 18,426 runs, including 49 hundred, in those games. Additionally, he was the first person to record a double century in ODI.
Rohit Sharma
Any opening spot in an all-time XI is always fiercely contested. Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Mumbai Indians, has been chosen by Harbhajan as the opener. Rohit was an expert with every shot when he came out of Mumbai as the clear successor to the great Indian batsmen of the 2000s. He had to earn it, but by the decade 2010, he had attained the pinnacle of white-ball cricket. Rohit often scored double hundreds in ODIs, making 500 at the 2019 ODI World Cup. In the first 15 seasons of the league, he has won six IPL championships. The captain of MI has scored the most double-hundreds. Additionally, Rohit retains the record for the best ODI score ever. In 243 ODI matches, the current Indian captain has amassed 9825 runs at a strike rate of 90.02 and an average of 48.63.
Virat Kohli
The most ambitious cricketer India has ever produced is without a doubt, Virat Kohli. In order to succeed, Kohli applied Sachin Tendulkar’s technical prowess and the top athletes in the world—not just cricket players—to his physical preparation. One of the greatest run-machines in One-Day cricket, Kohli has already cemented his place in history. He has played in 274 games and scored 12898 runs. He has a 93.62 strike rate and a stellar average of 57.32.
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting, the most tenacious player of his period, became Australia’s best run-scorer and is second only to Don Bradman in terms of all-time great batters in the country. Additionally, he retired from the position of captain after setting the record of 26 consecutive victories in 50-over World Cup games in 2011. He participated in 375 games throughout the course of his 17-year career, scoring 13,704 goals at a 42.03 average.
Jacques Kallis
The best choice for all-rounders is Jacques Kallis, just as an all-time XI would be empty without Tendulkar. In cricket, no wicket is valued greater than another and no batsman appreciates his wicket more than another. Although he became less effective as a bowler with each passing season, he will be remembered for his sporadically unpredictable pace, swing, and unsettling bounce. His sure-handedness and quick reactions make challenging catches in the slips seem natural. He amassed 11,579 runs in 328 games at an average of 44.36, including 17 centuries. He had a bowling average of 31.79, 273 wickets, and a run economy of 4.84 RPO. His fielding, where he took 131 catches in the format, put the finishing touches on his all-around abilities.
Andrew Flintoff
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Another outstanding all-arounder will be at number 6 on Harbhajan’s all-time XI. One of the very few cricketers whose statistics don’t fully convey their abilities is Andrew Flintoff. The magnificence of Flintoff will always be questioned by those who haven’t seen him play. He accrued 3394 runs at an average of 32.01 in 141 ODI games. In those games, he had 169 wickets at a bowling average of 24.38, and his average was 4.39 RPO. In Bhajji’s all-time XI, Freddie is a bowling all-rounder whereas Kallis is more of a batting all-rounder.
MS Dhoni
Who else could hold the position of wicket-keeper for an all-time XI but Mahendra Singh Dhoni? Under MS Dhoni’s leadership, Harbhajan won both the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, therefore in addition to maintaining wickets, “Captain Cool” will also skipper his team. Any opposing batter who sees Dhoni keeping track of things will hesitate before leaving his crease. He was a force to be reckoned with when he was in front of the stumps. He scored 10.773 runs at an average of 50.57 in 350 games for India. He was one of the best finishers the game has ever seen with a strike rate of 87.56.
Shane Warne
The greatest spinner in cricket history is most likely Shane Warne. The Australian leg-spin master played for one of the best teams. Players were not allowed to play any shots at all due to his bowling. He collected 293 wickets while bowling at a miserly economy of 4.25. His prowess in one-day cricket was often eclipsed by his test cricket records.
Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram was yet another Pakistani bowler who constantly caused difficulties for his opponents. Wasim possessed excellent control over swing, seam, and accuracy. Akram is regarded by many as the best left-arm fast bowler to ever live. Although he was destined to succeed Imran Khan as Pakistan’s captain and leader, the match-fixing scandals of the 1990s hurt him. He grabbed 502 wickets in 356 games at an average of 23.52 surrendering at a mere 3.89 economy.
Lasith Malinga
Wasim’s fast bowling partner will be Lasith Maling, the king of the Yorker. The batters’ most dreaded pitch was one of his yorkers. With a ball in hand, there wasn’t much he couldn’t accomplish. The body of Malinga’s threat consisted of a yorker, a trickier slower ball, and an excellent bouncer. His unorthodox motion made it challenging to predict his deliveries. All of that talent was also powered by street smarts; Malinga never shied away from making last-minute changes or reorganising his surroundings. Even when batters thought they knew what was coming, Malinga kept surprising them. He proved that he had the capacity to alter the outcome of a game in a matter of few balls when he took 4 wickets in 4 balls twice in both white-ball forms. He had a 5.35 RPO economy and 338 wickets at an average of 28.87 in 226 games.
Muttiah Muralitharan
One of the cricket players who divided opinions among many fans, analysts, and even some umpires was Muttiah Muralitharan. He is regarded as one of history’s top ball spinners by believers. The doubters see him as a fraud undeserving of the greatest records in the sport and the catalyst for the legislative changes they think made throwing permissible. Regardless of whether Sri Lanka played at home, on conditions where he was regularly unplayable, or abroad, Murali was the go-to man for many of the country’s captains. He grabbed 534 wickets for Sri Lanka in 350 games, surrendering runs at just 3.93 an innings on average while doing so.
Also Read: Top 5 Super Over Performances In The History Of Cricket
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