Raksha Bandhan 2025: How rakhis and love shaped Harbhajan Singh’s longest innings

Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh recalls Raksha Bandhan memories with his sisters, crediting their love and support for his longest innings on and off the field

From stadium cheers to family laughter in Jalandhar, former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh says one thing has never changed — the love of his five sisters. For the prolific off-spinner, Raksha Bandhan has always been a special occasion, no matter where cricket took him.

Harbhajan Singh talks about his memories with his sisters.

“I love the occasion,” he says at the outset. “By God’s grace, I have five sisters, and ever since I was a kid, it was a special occasion. My entire aim used to be to ensure that my hand looked full with rakhis — and I requested all my sisters to get big rakhis, so they would solve the purpose,” adds Harbhajan.

The 45-year-old credits much of his long cricketing career to their support. “One of the biggest reasons I played so long for India is because of my family… even when I was not in the best of forms, they would help me overcome those times,” he recalls, remembering the emotional hugs after India’s 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup wins.

His elder sister Bakshish Kaur says pampering their only brother came naturally . “He really loved to see his arms full of rakhis, so we used to get big- big rakhis for him,” she laughs addint that she is proud of the heights achieved by her brother. “Even today, we can’t put into words how proud we are of him,” she says.

Even when matches kept him away from home during the festival, Harbhajan tied every rakhi sent to him and made sure to share pictures with his sisters. Now, he marks the day with his children, passing on the same values he grew up with. “I want to teach my son that not just brothers, but even sisters can take care of their brothers — just like mine did,” he says.