In an intriguing revelation, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh spoke to News18's SportsNext and shared that he and MS Dhoni no longer speak to each other. Despite their key roles in India’s historic victories in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup, Harbhajan made it clear that while he holds no personal issues with Dhoni, the two are not friends anymore, and that It's been 10 years and more since he last had a proper chat with Dhoni.
Harbhajan and Dhoni, both integral to India’s success, had a long association. Dhoni captained the team in both World Cup triumphs, while Harbhajan played a crucial role with 7 wickets in the 2007 T20 World Cup and 9 in the 2011 ODI World Cup. On the field, they shared a strong bond, but off the field, their relationship has changed over time.
During their time together at Chennai Super Kings between 2018 and 2020, Harbhajan revealed they rarely spoke outside of the cricket field. The spinner, known for his candidness, added that he only calls those who are willing to pick up his calls, implying that their connection had remained distant despite being teammates for several years.
Harbhajan Singh hinted that he had tried reaching out to MS Dhoni on a few occasions but stopped after receiving no response. "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," he said.
He explained that he prefers to contact only those who reciprocate, valuing mutual respect in relationships. Harbhajan maintains communication with friends who actively engage with him and avoids further attempts if there is no response. He indicated that he would only interact with someone as necessary if his initial efforts to connect went unanswered.
Harbhajan Singh and MS Dhoni last represented India together in 2015 during an ODI against South Africa. Following the 2015 World Cup, both Harbhajan and Yuvraj Singh were sidelined from the Indian team. While Harbhajan did not feature in international cricket after 2015, he officially retired from all forms of the game in 2021.