Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and ex-India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s rift is out in the open now. Harbhajan and Dhoni were teammates as India won the T20 World Cup and ODI World Cup titles in 2007 and 2011 respectively. They also won the Indian Premier League title together at Chennai Super Kings.
But it has been more than a decade now since the two former India players have spoken to each other, according to Harbhajan. While speaking to News18 recently, Harbhajan opened up on the rift with MS Dhoni.
“No, I don’t speak to Dhoni. When I was playing at CSK, that’s when we spoke, but otherwise, we haven’t spoken. It’s been 10 years and more. I have no reason; perhaps he does. I don’t know what the reasons are. When we were playing in the IPL at CSK, that’s when we used to talk, and that, too, was restricted to the ground. After that, he did not come to my room, nor did I go to his,” Harbhajan Singh was quoted as saying by News18.
The last time Harbhajan and Dhoni represented India together was in 2015 – in an ODI against South Africa. They reunited three years later, playing a couple of seasons for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL. However, barring their on-field discussions regarding matches, Harbhajan admits not speaking to Dhoni in over a decade.
Harbhajan Singh (in 2020): “MS Dhoni never told us what to do till date. What will you tell a big player like Sachin or Sehwag?” pic.twitter.com/SMOXCD3KeB
— Sameer Allana (@HitmanCricket) February 7, 2024
Harbhajan claimed former India teammates Yuvraj Singh and Ashish Nehra as two guys he is regularly in contact with. But when it comes to Dhoni, Harbhajan took a step back.
The 103-Test Team India veteran didn’t blame Dhoni but it is clear that relations were far from smooth between the duo.
“I don’t have anything against him. If he has something to say, he can tell me. But if he did, he would have told me by now. I never tried to call him because I have a lot of passion. I only ring up those who pick up my calls. I don’t have the time otherwise.
“I stay in touch with the ones I am friends with. A relationship is always about give and take. If I respect you, I hope you will respect me back. Or you respond to me. But if I call you once or twice but don’t get a response, I will probably only meet you as much as I am needed to,” Harbhajan revealed.
While Harbhajan has retired from all forms of the game, Dhoni is getting ready to turn out for CSK in IPL 2025.
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