Harbhajan Singh, the former star spinner of Team India, is well-known for his candid remarks and fearlessness in expressing his opinions. While he frequently shares his thoughts openly, his fiery temperament sometimes leads to disputes, especially on social media platforms. Recently, he found himself in a heated debate with a cricket fan regarding Team India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, who was dropped from the playing eleven for the Sydney Test match. In this online exchange, Harbhajan indirectly took aim at former legendary captain MS Dhoni.
For the ongoing Test match between India and Australia, Rohit Sharma was excluded from the lineup due to his poor form. However, the team’s management stated that Rohit made the decision himself, prioritizing the team’s interests since he had been unable to contribute runs consistently. On the second day of the match, Rohit gave an interview to broadcaster Star Sports, where he asserted that he was not one to put the team in a difficult position, always thinking about the team’s welfare first.
‘There is No Captain Like Rohit’
When a cricket fan raised questions about Rohit’s interview, Harbhajan responded, stating that the fan should listen to Rohit’s entire interview before making any judgments. He passionately remarked that what Rohit did—choosing to drop himself—is something no Indian captain has considered doing, despite losing several series abroad and failing to score runs. Though Harbhajan did not mention names explicitly, his comments were likely directed towards MS Dhoni, who faced criticism after India lost Test series in England and Australia in 2011-2012.
Plz listen to my full interview first and rohit sharmas interview today on Starsports before u open ur mouth. What he has done None Indian captain ever thought of despite of losing series after series Abroad and without scoring runs. Fark hai bandhe mai. He is a Leader. https://t.co/1kbX2LTDcD
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) January 4, 2025
After this exchange, another user questioned Rohit’s leadership, claiming that true leaders do not back down. The user praised Dhoni as a ‘real leader’, noting his boldness in dropping senior players. In response, Harbhajan shot back, stating, “I know who ran away… Shall I remind you? The reasons will give you goosebumps.” Although he refrained from mentioning names directly, his statement seemed to reference Dhoni’s abrupt retirement during the Australia tour in the 2014-15 series, following the Melbourne Test.
मैं जानता हूँ कौन भागा था 😎 याद दिलाऊँ ? कारण भी बताऊंगा. रोंगटे खड़े हो जाएँगे https://t.co/S7wcUbsKNZ
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) January 4, 2025
Harbhajan and Dhoni have had a complicated relationship over the years, often hinting at their disagreements through subtle remarks. Despite playing a significant part of his cricket career under Dhoni’s leadership and being a member of Chennai Super Kings during previous IPL seasons, Harbhajan’s choice to defend Rohit Sharma indicates a deeper narrative surrounding leadership roles in Indian cricket.