Harbhajan Singh does not need introductions anymore. Even years after international retirement, Harbhajan still carries the aura of a match-winner. He may not bowl 30 overs a day anymore, but the competitive edge remains sharp.
Harbhajan Singh is now part of the World Legends Pro T20 League. The league brings together former stars who once dominated international cricket. It gives fans a chance to relive old rivalries. Harbhajan made it clear that he is not here just to make up numbers in the opening match itself.
The inaugural edition of the World Legends Pro T20 League kicked off at the 1919 Sportz Cricket Stadium in Verna, Goa, on Monday, January 26, 2026. Harbhajan Singh-led Delhi Warriors locked horns with Shikhar Dhawan-led Dubai Royals in the tournament opener.
Dubai Royals batted first and posted a strong total. The pitch was good. The outfield was quick. Runs were always on offer. But the moment that stole the show came early. And it came from the captain himself.
Harbhajan Singh delivers vintage moment against Shikhar Dhawan in Legends League
Harbhajan Singh brought himself into the attack when Shikhar Dhawan was settling in. Dhawan looked comfortable. He was timing the ball well. He had raced to 26 off just 14 balls. The trademark cover drives were flowing. It looked like one of those Dhawan innings where control slowly turns into dominance. That is when Harbhajan intervened.
The delivery was classic Harbhajan. Slight drift. Subtle change of pace. Enough bounce to mess with the batter’s judgement. Dhawan tried to work the ball from outside off-stump to the leg side. He misread it. The inside edge followed. The ball crashed into the stumps.
Harbhajan exploded in celebration. Fists pumping. A roar that echoed across the ground. Dhawan walked back smiling, almost amused. He knew what had happened. It was a contest between two old friends who know each other too well.
That wicket mattered. It broke momentum. It stopped a promising opening stand. More importantly, it shifted control back to Delhi. The middle overs suddenly belonged to the spinners.
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Harbhajan was not done. He later dismissed Kirk Edwards, using experience rather than pace. He finished with 2 for 25 in just two overs. Those numbers may not look extraordinary on paper. But context matters. Both wickets came at crucial moments. Both changed the rhythm of the innings.
Dubai Royals still fought hard. Peter Trego played a strong hand. He smashed a fluent half-century with nine fours and a six. Ambati Rayudu added late momentum with a brisk 36. The innings had intent, but it lacked a final punch.
Delhi’s bowlers held their nerve. Suboth Bhati impressed with figures of 3 for 37. Harbhajan led from the front, both tactically and emotionally. The Royals were kept below the 210 mark. On a dew-heavy night, that made a difference.
What followed was a chase that barely felt like one. Chadwick Walton turned the match into a statement. Opening with Shreevats Goswami, Walton went after everything. No bowler was spared. He reached his century in just 49 balls, the first of the tournament. Goswami played the perfect supporting role, scoring 56. Together, they added 159 runs for the opening wicket. The game ended right there.
Walton finished unbeaten on 128 off 62 balls with the help of fourteen fours and eight sixes. Delhi chased the target in 16.3 overs, winning by nine wickets. It was clinical. Almost ruthless. For Dubai, the dew made things worse. Bowlers struggled to grip the ball. Piyush Chawla picked up a wicket but went for runs. Fidel Edwards could not find rhythm. The damage was already done.
