'Haanji Paaji? Aapne bulaya?' - Harbhajan reveals interesting incident when he 'irritated' Sachin Tendulkar

Veteran India spinner Harbhajan Singh has recalled an incident involving legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar's international career has spanned 23 years, and he had shared the Indian dressing room with countless youngsters who grew up admiring him. Harbhajan Singh was one among them, having spent the majority of his career in the same dressing room as Tendulkar.

It is worth mentioning that Bhajji had bowled to Tendulkar when he used to be an academy bowler back in the day. As per the legendary spinner, he used to bowl to Indian players whenever they used to play matches in Mohali. Therefore, he did get a chance to bowl to the 'Master Blaster' but the atmosphere was different at the time for Singh.

Interestingly enough, Harbhajan remembered a time when he was selected for the national squad and was bowling to Tendulkar in the nets. He claimed that after a few deliveries, Tendulkar summoned him by pointing his head upside down, but when he queried him, the batter denied it.

The former India spinner walked up again and asked Sachin Tendulkar, who nodded his head again. He stated that at the moment, the Master Blaster appeared irritated and questioned him why he kept coming back to him regarding the same thing time and again. Hence, Singh revealed about what happened next after Tendulkar looked seemingly irritated by the bowler.

'What happened, why are you coming up time and again?' - Master Blaster irritatingly questioned Harbhajan

“It happened that I got a chance to bowl to Sachin. Now, after a few deliveries, I felt that he summoned me by nodding his head upside down. So I just went up and asked him 'Haanji Paaji? Aapne bulaya'? (Did you call me Paaji?). Now Sachin, when he is batting he doesn't talk to anyone. He is just in his zone and told me 'No'," Harbhajan was quoted as saying by the PTI.

"After a few minutes, again a nod of his head and I again went up and this time he seemed a bit irritated as it was hampering his practice. He asked, 'What happened, why are you coming up time and again'? I could gather enough courage to tell him that since he was nodding his head after each delivery, I felt he wanted to speak to me," said the Turbanator continued.

He went on to say that Tendulkar later revealed the reason for his nodding. Tendulkar used to wear somewhat over-sized helmets at the time, according to the 42-year-old, and he was nodding his head upside down to adjust the helmet.

"In those days, he used to wear a helmet that was slightly over-sized or loose, I may say. So, after every delivery, he would just nod his head upside down to adjust the helmet before facing the next delivery," Harbhajan concluded.