Harbhajan accused of 'paid fans' dig at Kohli, leaves internet fuming; Aakash Chopra says 'Itna sach nehi bolna tha'

Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh left social media fuming after his controversial comment on the fan base of the rest of the Indian cricketers in comparison to MS Dhoni. The comment left the internet accusing the legendary spinner of taking a vile dig at Virat Kohli. Did Harbhajan Singh take a dig at Virat Kohli?

Harbhajan's comment came on Saturday, on the sidelines of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's home game in the IPL 2025 against the Kolkata Knight Riders. The 44-year-old spoke of Dhoni and his future in the IPL, with a media report claiming that he might just go for another season.

Speaking to Star Sports, Harbhajan felt that while he would have taken a different action on Dhoni's future in the Chennai Super Kings had it been his team, he added the 43-year-old should continue playing as long as he can. The discussion then briefly shifted to the fans' perspective, saying they want this. However, in his subsequent statement, Harbhajan said Dhoni is the only player with a "real fan base", while the rest rely on “paid fans and PR.”

"He can play as long as he can. Had it been my team, I would have made a different decision. Fans will want him to continue playing. I feel he has a real fan base; the rest are all on social media, which are even paid fans. Leave them out, because if we start discussing that, the discussion will go in a different direction," he said.

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra, who was also present in the panel, was left in splits at the remark, before saying: "Itna sach nehi bolna tha (You weren't supposed to be this honest)." Harbhajan showed no hesitation in responding: "Someone had to."

Harbhajan's statement did not sit well with social media, as they felt he indirectly targeted Kohli.

Bengaluru crowd's tribute to Kohli

Kohli was all set to play his first game since the shock announcement of his Test retirement, and fans, despite being left heartbroken, arranged a special tribute for the 36-year-old at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. They transformed the venue into a sea of white, donning Kohli's No. 18 India Test jersey as a tribute to the former captain, who brought down the curtain on a glorious 14-year career in the longest format on May 12.

Much to their dismay, they could not catch a glimpse of their superstar in action as rain washed out the IPL 2025 game between RCB and KKR without a ball being bowled.

The washout gave Bengaluru one point, taking them back to the top of the table, but they have not yet guaranteed a playoff spot. Bengaluru will still need one more win from their remaining two games to seal a berth in the top four, while sixth-placed Kolkata have been eliminated from the tournament.

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