Harbhajan Singh took 575 wickets across Tests, ODIs and T20 cricket in the matches covered by the CricMind ball-by-ball archive: 234 in Tests, 166 in ODIs and 175 in T20s. Add 3,412 runs, two Test hundreds and a T20 strike rate of 136.2, and the record is that of an off-spinner who shaped matches for more than a decade in every format India played.
A note on scope before the numbers. Ball-by-ball records in the Cricsheet archive begin partway through Harbhajan's international career, so the Test and ODI figures below cover the matches recorded delivery by delivery rather than every game he played. His T20 record, which began after ball-by-ball coverage was in place, is close to complete. Every figure here comes from that archive; his full profile is on the Harbhajan Singh player page.
Harbhajan Singh career stats by format
| Format | Mat | Inns | Runs | Avg | SR | HS | 50s | 100s | Wkts | Bowl Avg | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 61 | 85 | 1,554 | 21.00 | 62.6 | 115 | 7 | 2 | 234 | 35.96 | 2.90 |
| ODI | 148 | 85 | 917 | 14.79 | 81.9 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 35.14 | 4.40 |
| T20 | 189 | 101 | 941 | 14.94 | 136.2 | 64 | 1 | 0 | 175 | 26.51 | 6.95 |
| Total | 398 | 271 | 3,412 | — | — | 115 | 8 | 2 | 575 | — | — |
The T20 row combines T20 internationals for India with his IPL career for the Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. The ODI row also includes appearances for the Asia XI.
The standing: India's off-spin workhorse
The number that captures Harbhajan best is not a wicket tally but a workload. In the archive he bowled 29,354 balls — more than 4,890 overs — across 398 matches. In Tests alone he sent down 17,399 balls, almost 2,900 overs, at an economy of 2.90.
That is the record of a bowler who was expected to bowl long, attacking spells on the first day and to bowl a side out on the fifth. A Test bowling strike rate of about 74 balls per wicket and a Test average of 35.96 reflect the job: carrying an attack for long stretches, often on surfaces where the burden of taking wickets fell on the spinners.
Tests: wickets and two hundreds
Harbhajan's Test numbers in the archive show two sides of his game.
With the ball: 234 wickets in 61 Tests — close to four wickets per Test — at 35.96. He bowled in 113 innings, which means he bowled in almost every innings of almost every Test he played.
With the bat: 1,554 runs at 21.00, including two hundreds and seven fifties, with a highest score of 115. A strike rate of 62.6 is brisk for Test cricket and fits a lower-order batter who looked to counter-attack. For a number-eight or number-nine, two Test centuries is a rare entry on the record.
ODIs: 1,300 overs of control
In ODI cricket Harbhajan took 166 wickets in 148 matches at 35.14, with an economy of 4.40. He bowled 7,951 balls — over 1,325 overs — and was used in 145 of the 148 matches, almost always for a full or near-full spell.
The economy is the headline. Conceding 4.40 an over across more than 1,300 overs marks him as one of the controlling middle-overs bowlers of his time, the spinner a captain could turn to when the scoring rate needed to come down.
With the bat, 917 ODI runs at a strike rate of 81.9 and a best of 49 show a useful lower-order hitter, if not a frequent scorer of big innings.
T20 and the IPL: his best bowling average
| T20 metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Matches | 189 |
| Wickets | 175 |
| Bowling average | 26.51 |
| Economy | 6.95 |
| Balls bowled | 4,004 |
| Balls per wicket | 22.9 |
| Runs | 941 |
| Strike rate | 136.2 |
| Sixes | 46 |
| Highest score | 64 |
T20 cricket produced Harbhajan's best bowling average of the three formats: 175 wickets at 26.51, with an economy of 6.95 across 667 overs. An off-spinner keeping his economy under seven runs an over over that many T20 overs — much of it in the IPL, where boundaries come quickly — is an outstanding long-term figure.
His batting found a gear here too. A strike rate of 136.2, with 90 fours and 46 sixes in just 691 balls, made him a dangerous late-order hitter, and his highest T20 score of 64 is his best white-ball innings in the archive. His last T20 match in the archive was on 18 April 2021.
What the numbers show
| Format | Balls per wicket | Runs per wicket | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 74.4 | 35.96 | 2.90 |
| ODI | 47.9 | 35.14 | 4.40 |
| T20 | 22.9 | 26.51 | 6.95 |
Across formats, Harbhajan's bowling averages in Tests and ODIs are almost identical — 35.96 and 35.14 — while his T20 average is nearly ten runs cheaper. His economy rises with the format, as every bowler's does, but the cost of each wicket falls.
The broader picture is one of volume and versatility: 575 wickets in the recorded matches alone, hundreds in Test cricket, and a long, productive T20 career for three IPL franchises. For how these numbers compare with the game's leading wicket-takers, see the all-time cricket records.
FAQ
How many wickets did Harbhajan Singh take?
In the matches covered by the CricMind ball-by-ball archive he took 575 wickets: 234 in Tests, 166 in ODIs and 175 in T20 cricket. Ball-by-ball coverage of his Test and ODI career is partial, so his full international totals are higher.
Did Harbhajan Singh score a Test hundred?
Yes. The archive records two Test hundreds and seven fifties, with a highest score of 115.
Which IPL teams did Harbhajan Singh play for?
He played for the Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders.
What was Harbhajan Singh's T20 economy rate?
He conceded 6.95 runs per over in T20 cricket across 4,004 balls, taking 175 wickets at an average of 26.51.