Fan wars in Indian cricket isn’t uncommon. Every now and then, fan groups of one cricketer get into debates with the fan groups of other cricketers. In India, cricketers are like Gods, with fan armies that exude unparalleled passion for the player and the game. However, former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh made quite a controversial statement, as he suggested that the only Indian cricketer, at present, who has ‘real fans’ is former India captain Chennai Super Kings’ ‘Thala’ MS Dhoni.

Harbhajan’s comment came as the IPL 2025 season neared its resumption with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders match on Saturday. During a chat on JioStar, Harbhajan triggered a controversy as he suggested that Dhoni’s fans are real while the number of other players’ fans also include a ‘paid’ component.

“If any cricketer has real fans, it’s Dhoni. The rest are paid,” Harbhajan said.

harbhajan singhin-directly Targeted Virat fans? as Paid instagram fans#chinnaswamystadium #RcbvsKkr pic.twitter.com/KYZygETjbP

— King Kohli Fan Page (@Hracingchannel) May 17, 2025

“Kitna bacha hua hai aur jab tak dum hai khelo bhai. Meri team hoti to shayad main kuch aur decision leta,” Harbhajan said durig the show.”Aur seedhi si baat hai fan to chahenge kyunki unke fan 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,” he added.

“MS Dhoni iss baar dekhein to accha khele hain, theek thaak khele,” the former spinner further remarked. 

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra, who was also a part of the discussion, told Harbhajan that he shouldn’t have said ‘so much truth’.

Some fans even questioned if Harbhajan’s statement was a dig at Virat Kohli‘s fans, who had gathered in large numbers to pay tribute to the India batter after he decided to retire from Test cricket a few days ago.

Despite the RCB vs KKR match in Bengaluru being washed out due to incessant rain, Kohli’s fans donned the batter’s Test whites, as a tribute to him. A large chunk of fans even asked the 36-year-old to revisit his decision to quit the longest format of the game so early.