During Our Playing Days, We Didn’t Even Speak To The Australians In Hotel Lobby: Harbhajan Singh

Former Indian spin bowler Harbhajan Singh mentioned that they never interacted with the Australian players during their playing days.

Since the Indian Premier League (IPL) came into the picture, the relations between Indian and overseas players have changed altogether.

IPL changed the bond between Indian players with overseas players

Apart from spending time in IPL seasons, players have shown camaraderie on the field during international matches as well.

For instance, the short banter between KL Rahul and Australia’s white-ball skipper Aaron Finch during an ODI match last year after the latter was hit on the chest.

Harbhajan, who snapped 711 international wickets from 367 matches across all formats, had his own shares of heated arguments with the Australian players.

Nowadays, the rivals are enemies only on the ground: Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan talked about how things have become cool between international players from opposite teams after IPL.

The former Indian spinner also mentioned about the praise he would get from his Australian counterparts, whom he termed as the best team during his time.

“If trying to win matches for my country makes me a forever foe in the eyes of opponents then I am ready to become that, 200 times!” Harbhajan told News18.com.

“Yes, IPL has changed the dynamic among the players in many ways because we spend close to 45-50 days together which is a lot. You do become friends and forget a lot of bitterness from the past.

“Nowadays, the rivals are enemies only on the ground; but during our playing days, we didn’t even speak to the Australians even in the hotel lobby. Such was the kind of heated clashes we had on the field.

“Ponting, Hayden are big players and when they say something about your game, it does feel nice. They won’t praise you for doing nothing. I must have done something special as a player. The Aussies used to be the boss team of our generation and it was always great to challenge and test yourself against the best,” Harbhajan added.

Last month, Harbhajan announced his retirement from all formats after playing the games for more than two decades.

Also Read: “No Complaints Against MS Dhoni”- Harbhajan Singh Clears His Relationship With Former Indian Skipper