Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has disclosed that he has not spoken to former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni in over ten years. Harbhajan, known for his fiery performances on the field, revealed this surprising detail about his relationship with the wicket-keeper batter during a recent interview.
No communication for over a decade
Harbhajan revealed that he has not spoken to Dhoni in the past 10 years, except during their time together at Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League, where their interactions were limited to the field. He mentioned there was no personal communication outside the ground and no visits to each other’s rooms, adding he doesn’t know the reason for this distance.
“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 said in a conversation with News18.
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Lack of connection
Harbhajan clarified he has no issues with the person in question and believes they would have spoken up if they had concerns. The veteran spinner doesn’t call people who don’t reciprocate his efforts, as he values mutual respect and responsiveness in relationships. If his calls go unanswered, he limits interaction to necessary occasions.
“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,” the former Indian cricketer added.
On-field partnership, off-field distance
Harbhajan and Dhoni shared a remarkable partnership on the field, playing together for over a decade. They were instrumental in India’s triumphs at the 2007 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the 2011 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup. Harbhajan also played under Dhoni’s leadership during his IPL stint with the Chennai Super Kings, contributing to their title-winning campaign in 2018. However, despite these shared milestones, their off-field camaraderie appears to have been limited.
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