India’s two veteran spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin had allegedly had a rift from a long time. Notably, Ashwin saw a sharp rise following Harbhajan Singh’s decline post the 2011 World Cup.
Ashwin even made his Test debut replacing Harbhajan in 2011 and in no time became a regular mainstay. Harbhajan had a few sporadic appearances for India after but could never re-create his old magic and this subsequently led to speculations of a rift.
Harbhajan’s indifference towards Ashwin was also no secret, having previously suggested that the Indian all-rounder’s success were more a result of favourable conditions. Bhajji also omitted Ashwin while naming his top 5 Test cricketers despite his big contributions. The fans also did their bit to keep the debate alive.
Recently, in a video which is a trailer of an upcoming episode of ‘Kutti Stories with Ash’ doing the rounds on social media, Ashwin addressed the elephant in the room upfront.
“Do you think I am jealous of you? You are sitting with me today, and we have spoken at length. Do you think I am that kind of person?”
Watch the video below.
Giving a response to Harbhajan, Ashwin highlighted that Bhajji’s jealousy was ‘justified’ and cited Washington Sundar’s example.
Interestingly, Ashwin announced a shock retirement from international cricket last year in December midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With Washington Sundar getting the preference over Ashwin, it also led to conspiracy theories suggesting that the move forced his retirement.
Ashwin said, “Even if you are jealous it is justified because we are all human. Naturally, it is bound to be like that. Some people believe I retired because Washington Sundar is in the thick of things. All of this is the perspective of others.”
Speaking of Ashwin’s career, he finished as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in international cricket, only behind Anil Kumble (953) with a tally of 765 scalps. Harbhajan too picked up over 700 international wickets, and is third on the all-time list with 707 wickets.
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