Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh on Sunday lost his cool on social media after a fan accused him of being jealous of Ravichandran Ashwin. The heated exchange came after Ashwin made his much-anticipated Hindi commentary debut in the IPL 2026 opener in Bengaluru.
Harbhajan, who is also part of the star-studded Hindi commentary panel this season, came down hard on the troll, using a sharp English proverb as the final blow. The incident quickly went viral and sparked a fresh debate among cricket fans about the ongoing commentary row.
How the social media battle began
The trouble started when an X account called ‘Homie’ targeted Harbhajan Singh along with other commentators Navjot Singh Sidhu and Virender Sehwag. The user shared a photo collage that placed the great Ian Bishop of the West Indies above the Indian trio and wrote, “Caribbean hoke bhi Indian players ko in teeno se zyada janta hu (Despite being from the Caribbean, I know the Indian players better than these three),” was the text on the image along with a caption that read, “Ian Chapri is more Hindu than these Hindus.”
Without hesitation, Harbhajan replied, “An elephant is walking through the market. Dogs are barking a thousand times. Get out of here, Tommy. Not Homie.”
The troll went on the attack and directly accused Harbhajan of professional jealousy. He wrote: “Ashwin is jealousy tera career kha gayi ab comment pe dhyan de warning a yaha se bhi pension hona padega. comment Turbanator nahi ke liye ‘t*rror’ hai tu. (Your jealousy towards Ashwin “has ruined your career too much. Now don’t focus on the comment or you will have to leave town.” “t*rror” for the comment).
Harbhajan replied again, “Dogs can’t digest ghee and a loser like you won’t be able to digest my answer. Go away Tommy.”
Harbhajan Singh’s strongest response becomes a theme
As the troll further taunted him by saying, “Then why are you drinking ghee and stop barking…”, Harbhajan Singh gave his strongest reply of the day.
“This is a good English saying. It applies to you. If you don’t get it, go ahead and get help from your paid army. Disappear now. And yes, go ahead and tweet from your real face and ID, you coward,” he wrote.
In the same reply, Harbhajan quoted a famous saying, “I learned a long time ago, never wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.”
The veteran cricketer’s witty yet firm stance quickly gained attention across platforms. Many fans praised him for not remaining silent against online abuse, while others suggested he should ignore such comments and focus on his commentary work.
IPL 2026 Commentary Line Background
Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from IPL cricket after the 2025 season, made his Hindi commentary debut during the first match of the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League.
This season’s Hindi panel features some big names including Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan and more. Initial reactions to the new commentary team were mixed, with some fans praising the new insights and others criticizing the style.
