The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season opener between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) saw several talking points emerge as Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal and Jacob Duffy all put in solid performances as the defending champions registered a comprehensive six-wicket win, chasing down the total of 202 with 26 balls to spare. The opening game of the 19th edition of the tournament marked the Hindi commentary debut of Ravichandran Ashwin.
Throughout the game, trolls on social media poked fun at Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, and Navjot Singh Sidhu for their Hindi commentary during the RCB-SRH match. While the Turbanator didn't reply to most of the posts on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, however, the former India spinner lost his cool on Sunday as he replied to some users who had said nasty things about him and his fellow peers.
One user used crass language and a casteist slur against Harbhajan, Sehwag, and Sidhu, claiming that former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop is way better than the trio. Replying to the user, Harbhajan shot back and made fun of the user's X handle name, saying, “The elephant walks through the market. Dogs bark a thousand times. Get out of here, Tomy. Not Homie.”
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The matter didn't end there, as the user posted a fresh message, alleging that Harbhajan was jealous of Ashwin's career and asking the former India spinner to focus on his commentary, or else he would fade away.
{{/usCountry}}The matter didn't end there, as the user posted a fresh message, alleging that Harbhajan was jealous of Ashwin's career and asking the former India spinner to focus on his commentary, or else he would fade away.
{{/usCountry}}“Dogs can't digest ghee, and a loser like you can't stomach the reply. Get lost, Tommy,” Harbhajan wrote in his reply.
History between Harbhajan and Ashwin
Despite Harbhajan and Ashwin sharing a good rapport, several trolls on social media have often alleged a rift between the two. The two have often come clean on the issue as well; however, the claims keep surfacing on X. Last year, the Turbanator had even appeared on the podcast hosted by Ashwin, asking him, " Does the latter also think, 'He's jealous of him?”
“Do you think I am jealous of you? You are sitting with me today, and we have spoken at length. Do you think I am that kind of person?" Harbhajan had asked Ashwin.
Ashwin had made a name for himself towards the fag end of Harbhajan's career, and this fact has often been used on social media to try to create a divide between the two.
Speaking of Ashwin, he is the second-highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket, only behind Anil Kumble. On the other hand, Harbhajan too picked up more than 400 Test wickets.