Harbhajan Singh brought fresh euphoria to the Indian cricket world at the onset of the second half of the IPL. In an interview, he complimented Dhoni and remarked, "Dhoni has a real fanbase. Everyone else is a renter, fans are arranged on social media with money." These words immediately generated a storm in the cricketing world. Even though nobody nominated him, going by the hour and situation, most are surmising that Virat Kohli was being targeted by Harbhajan's words. For, Virat has now retired from Test cricket as of now and an emotional and respectful environment has been generated around him at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Virat's Test retirement has gotten crores of fans in the nation emotional. On his departure, the whole stadium was attired in white and set to pay homage to him. Even though that idea could not be executed because of the weather, speculations regarding Kohli's retirement are on in each nook and corner of the nation. In all this, a lot of people are wondering whether Harbhajan's "rented fan" statement is a direct spoof on Virat. Because no other cricketer has lately found himself at the centre of such colossal fan passion.
Harbhajan and Virat Kohli also used to have a very genuine relationship. Both of them played together in the Indian team for a lot of time. But it can be imagined that a gap has grown between them with the passage of time. Some of Harbhajan's past statements also gave an indication of that. But the way he introduced Dhoni in the public as the "only real fan owner" and referred to the remaining fans as 'rented', has also raised many eyebrows.
particularly when he said, "If I say more about this, the discussion will go to the other side," many are understanding that he has gone out of his way to say much and yet say nothing. Some are opining that Harbhajan is indeed speaking from personal experience. The disdain he was neglected with towards the end of his career, or some of the pent-up ire that he had in his heart, are now being uncovered in this manner.
But the controversy is - why such remarks against Kohli? Not just fan following, Kohli has performed on the field, won many matches for the nation, brought Test cricket to new heights. His aggressive captaincy, fitness mantra and his capacity to motivate his colleagues have revolutionised Indian cricket. When that Kohli will retire, his fans will be sentimental - it's natural. And is it on the field or on social media that they become 'mercenaries'? Apart from that, the attendance of fans in Virat's games is not solely the work of social media or artificiality, it has also been testically proven. If Kohli walks out even in a minor Ranji game, the field's stands are packed. That ecstasy, that passion cannot be purchased with money at all. Instead, it is the yardstick of real popularity.
Most are stating that Harbhajan's quote is really a dig at Kohli disguised as praising Dhoni. Both Dhoni and Kohli are legends of Indian cricket. Their fans, however, tend to belittle one another on social media to make their idol greater. In this case, if Harbhajan, as a retired cricketer, gives bias remarks, then it will generate more buzz.
On the contrary, nobody questions Dhoni's popularity. Even when Dhoni enters the ground, the whole ground erupts. He is the epitome of calm, calm leadership. His fans think he is godly, that too is true. But can we look down upon Kohli's fans or their feelings are not genuine? The popularity and fan base of the duo might be different but both have their own space.
Another thing in this story is that Harbhajan has played for years with Dhoni as his captain and has won a few ICC tournaments. He naturally would have respect for Dhoni. But to demonstrate such respect by demeaning someone else, particularly a recently retired teammate, is not only awkward but also incendiary.
Behind the performance that Indian cricket has acquired currently, numerous individuals such as Dhoni, Kohli, Rohit, and Bumrah have played a significant role. Nobody achieved this alone. Thus, aware fans feel that ridiculing someone while showing respect for another individual is against the oneness of cricket.
Ultimately, it can be said that numerous individuals are taking Harbhajan's remark as a strictly personal view.
But when cricket is emotional, personal views also create group tensions. Because no one has called anyone by name, those who are still blaming themselves are blaming themselves in the actual context of the situation. Harbhajan might have realized this heat and have said, "If we talk too much about this, the discussion will go the other way." But now the discussion has gone the other way. If there is any personal ego, past resentment or shadow of perception behind this statement, there is an issue of the time and manner to reveal it in the open. And such arguments establish yet again that Indian cricket is not just confined to the playing arena, it is a mix of emotion, competition, and pride, where every utterance fuels the fire of debate.
