MS Dhoni has been captaining CSK in IPL 2025 after Ruturaj Gaikwad's injury.
Harbhajan Singh, ex-India spinner, has brewed up a new storm by stating that only ex-India and CSK captain MS Dhoni has real fans and the rest of the cricketers in IPL have paid on manufactured fans. His words came as the IPL 2025 resumed with the match between RCB and KKR in Bengaluru on May 17.
Unfortunately, the match where fans wanted to pay tribute to Virat Kohli, who announced his retirement from Test cricket, got washed out due to consistent rains at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
With fan bases that radiate unmatched fervor for the person and the sport, cricket players are revered in India like gods. Harbhajan Singh, a former cricket player for India, made a highly contentious claim when he implied that the only Indian player currently having "real fans" is "Thala" MS Dhoni, the captain of the Chennai Super Kings.
Harbhajan stirred up controversy at a JioStar interview when he implied that Dhoni's fan base is genuine, but that the number of other players' followers also has a "paid" component.
"If any cricketer has real fans, it's Dhoni. The rest are paid. Kitna bacha hua hai aur jab tak dum hai khelo bhai. Meri team hoti to shayad main kuch aur decision leta,” Harbhajan Singh said.
“Aur seedhi si baat hai fan to chahenge kyunki unke fan jo hai. Mujhe lagta hai ki sabse zyada fan agar asal wale fan jo hai wo unke hi hai (CSK). Baaki to ye bane banaye hai jo aajkal social media aadha to paid hi chalta hai par ye inke fan jo hai wo asali hai. Inke jo fan hai wo sahi mein fan hai. Baaki yahan wahan jo aap number dekhte ho wo chhodiye number unke upar kabhi baithenge to charcha karenge. MS Dhoni iss baar dekhein to accha khele hain, theek thaak khele,” he added.
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Aakash Chopra, a former cricket player for India who participated in the conversation, advised Harbhajan not to have spoken "so much truth."
Fans even wondered whether Harbhajan's remarks were a jab at Virat Kohli's supporters, who had flocked to the stadium to honor the Indian batsman following his announcement a few days ago that he would be retiring from Test cricket.