New Delhi: Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh dropped a truth bombshell as he claimed MS Dhoni is the only Indian cricketer with ‘real fans’ as most others have a ‘paid’ following on social media. Harbhajan was speaking about Dhoni’s future in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when he compared Dhoni’s fandom with others and said the love for the former India captain remains unparalleled.
There have been a lot of speculations surrounding Dhoni’s future in the IPL as he continues to ply his trade for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The 43-year-old legendary wicket-keeper batter is currently leading CSK in the absence of regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and has been going strong with the bat and behind the stumps despite his waning prowess.
Speaking about Dhoni’s retirement plans, Harbhajan said the CSK legend should continue playing for as long as he feels he can. He then insisted his fans would be happy to see him continue for another season before admitting that the former India captain is the only cricketer who has a ‘real’ and humongous fan base. He then took a dig at others for having ‘paid’ followers on social media, triggering a controversy.
“Kitna bacha hua hai aur jab tak dum hai khelo bhai. Meri team hoti to shayad main kuch aur decision leta (Play for as long as you are fit. If it was my team I would have taken some other decision),” Harbhajan said about Dhoni’s future while speaking on Jio Hotstar.
“Aur seedhi si baat hai fan to chahenge kyunki unke fans 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 (I think he has the most number of real fans, the others have ‘paid’ following on social media. Dhoni has real fans because his fans are actual fans. Leave the numbers aside we will talk about it some other time),” he added.
Former India batter and popular commentator Aakash Chopra, who was also part of the panel, couldn’t hold his laugh as he told Harbhajan – “Itna bhi sach nahi bolna tha (You shouldn’t have openly stated the truth like that)”.
harbhajan singhin-directly Targeted Virat fans? as Paid instagram fans#chinnaswamystadium #RcbvsKkr pic.twitter.com/KYZygETjbP
— 👑 King Kohli Fan Page (@Hracingchannel) May 17, 2025
Dig at Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma?
The clip of Harbhajan’s comments went viral on social media, with many claiming the former spinner took a dig at the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Kohli fans even started bashing the spinner online, while abusing him viciously for his remarks. Though Harbhajan didn’t name any cricketers, the fans were quick to assume who he was referring to in his ‘paid’ jibe.
Will MS Dhoni return for CSK in IPL 2026?
Despite having turned 43, Dhoni, who was retained as an uncapped player by CSK ahead of IPL 2025, remains a vital cog in the squad. He is also the guiding force in the team and is unlikely to retire after IPL 2025. Dhoni has reportedly given no indications to the CSK management about quitting after IPL 2025 and is likely to return for the Men in Yellow in IPL 2026.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh dropped a truth bomb as he claimed only MS Dhoni’s fans are real, while most other present cricketrs have paid following on social media. IPL Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
