[Exclusive] 'Anmoljeet Singh from Punjab could replace Ashwin' - Harbhajan Singh on India's next off-spinner

Harbhajan Singh recently picked a young bowler from Punjab, who could fill the void that will arise when Ravichandran Ashwin announces his retirement from international cricket.

The former India cricketer is currently plying his trade for Manipal Tigers as he is leading the defending champions in the third season of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) 2024. On the sidelines of the franchise tournament, Harbhajan was asked to name a cricketer who could be Ashwin's potential successor. The cricketer-turned-commentator said that 17-year-old Anmoljeet Singh has immense talent and can take the legacy of off-spinners in India forward.

"Anmol from Punjab, who was recently selected for the U19 team against Australia, could carry forward the legacy of off-spin and potentially take Ashwin's place," Harbhajan told CricTracker during an exclusive interview.

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India were blessed to find someone of the calibre of Ashwin towards the backend of Harbhajan's career. The Tamil Nadu off-spinner continued from where his former teammate left and etched his name into the history books by breaking several records.

Ashwin recently celebrated his 38th birthday but showed no signs of slowing down during the recently concluded two-match Test series between India and Bangladesh as he won the Player of the Series award. However, the Asian giants will have to prepare a successor in the coming years to ensure a smooth transition whenever Ashwin decides to hang up his boots.

Who is Anmoljeet Singh?

Anmoljeet, who considers Harbhajan as his idol, took a lot of wickets in the last two seasons to get picked in the India U19 squad for the two Youth Tests against Australia. He bagged 65 wickets in the Vijay Merchant Trophy U16 national tournament and orchestrated a title win for Punjab.

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Anmoljeet couldn't get a spot in the playing XI in the first four-day encounter against Australia in Chennai. The second match gets underway on Monday, October 7, and it will be interesting to see whether the talented cricketer is brought into the side.