Indian cricket’s superstar Harbhajan Singh is one of the finest sporting talents the country has seen. From trapping batters with his crafty spin to smashing the ball across the stadium, Bhajji has done it all with aplomb.
But what happens when a top cricketer meets world-class athletes from other sports? There will be plenty of action, lots of drama and a guaranteed dose of fun.
The latest season of Sports Swap, a series by the Olympic Channel, sees our OG Punjab da Puttar step into unfamiliar territory. You can watch the Sports Swap India series on Olympics.com here.
Harbhajan Singh swaps his cricket glove with a boxing glove and trades his bat for a table tennis paddle to experience how an Olympian trains for the biggest stage.
The ‘Turbanator’ tested his jabs and hooks while taking on the challenge of boxing icon Vikas Krishan in the first episode of Sports Swap.
Vikas Krishan is a three-time Olympian and a decorated athlete. He has gold medals at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, bronze at the world championships and multiple podium finishes at the continental championships.
The next episode will see another legend of his sport, Sharath Kamal, up the ante, putting Harbhajan’s table tennis skills to the test.
Four-time Olympian Sharath Kamal boasts seven gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, is a 10-time national champion and has numerous other achievements at the Asian level.
And it’s not just Harbhajan Singh trying to keep up with the jabs in the ring and paddle through the smashes on the TT table.
The second season of Sports Swap will see accomplished cricketers, Yuzvendra Chahal, Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, trade their sport with other Indian athletes.
Indian cricket team’s spin king Yuzvendra Chahal picks up the challenge with badminton ace Kidambi Srikanth, a world championship medal winner and Tokyo 2020 archer Pravin Jadhav.
Meanwhile, Smriti Mandhana, one of the biggest names in the world of women’s cricket, swaps her bat with the hockey stick of Savita Punia and the pistol of Youth Olympic Games shooting champion Manu Bhaker.
Jemimah Rodrigues will pair up with Akansha Singh, not on the cricket pitch, but on a basketball court.
Can Bhajji and the gang keep up with the athletes? Tune in to Sports Swap on the Olympic Channel to find out more.
Sports Swap India episodes list
Episode 1: Harbhajan Singh (cricket) and Vikas Krishan Yadav (boxing)
Episode 2: Harbhajan Singh (cricket) and Sharath Kamal (table tennis)
Episode 3: Smriti Mandhana (cricket) and Manu Bhaker (shooting)
Episode 4: Smriti Mandhana (cricket) and Savita Punia (hockey)
Episode 5: Jemimah Rodriguez (cricket) and Akanksha Singh (basketball)
Episode 6: Yuzvendra Chahal (cricket) and Pravin Jadhav (archery)
Episode 7: Yuzvendra Chahal (cricket) with Kidambi Srikanth (badminton)