India, Aug. 9 -- From stadium cheers to family laughter in Jalandhar, former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh says one thing has never changed - the love of his five sisters. For the prolific off-spinner, Raksha Bandhan has always been a special occasion, no matter where cricket took him.

"I love the occasion," he says at the outset. "By God's grace, I have five sisters, and ever since I was a kid, it was a special occasion. My entire aim used to be to ensure that my hand looked full with rakhis - and I requested all my sisters to get big rakhis, so they would solve the purpose," adds Harbhajan.

The 45-year-old credits much of his long cricketing career to their support. "One of the biggest reasons I played so long for India is because ...