Harbhajan Singh And R Ashwin Settle 'Jealousy' Debate Once And For All - 'I Think It Is Justified'

There are a lot of similarities between R Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh. Both are among the greatest off-spinners to have played for the Indian cricket team. Both are IPL title winners with the Chennai Super Kings. And now, with their careers having winded down, both are active on the YouTube platform with their respective channels. 

However, there has always been a section of the Indian cricket fanbase who have believed that the two do not see eye to eye or that Harbhajan is ‘jealous’ of Ashwin. The two recently sat down to have a chat and clear the air over any rumours of a rift between them. 

Bhajji appeared on a video alongside Ashwin on the latter's YouTube channel and was asked a very pointed question. 

ALSO READ | WCL Match Between India And Pakistan Called Off After Players Pull Out

Harbhajan Brushes Off ‘Jealousy’ Rumours

"Their comments that you (Harbhajan) are jealous of this person who is interviewing you today (Ashwin), what would that be about, Bhajji pa," Ashwin asked.

"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?" Harbhajan responded.

Interestingly, Ashwin said that even if Bhajji ever felt that way it was normal - and that any talks of their rift come due to people's perspectives and not reality. 

"Even if you were jealous at one point in time, I think it's justified. That is my point, and I will never take it wrong 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."

It puts to bed any talks of a rift between the two, although at one point there was a firm belief that the two were definitely not in agreement over certain things. 

ALSO READ | Huge Shubman Gill Prediction Dropped Ahead of 4th IND v ENG Test

Where Did The Rift Talk Come From?

The fact that Harbhajan often spoke about Indian wickets becoming more spinner-friendly in the past decade or so - at a time when Ashwin was an unstoppable force at home - fuelled those rumours. 

Plus even though the two played in different eras, there was a brief overlap between their careers and many felt that Ashwin essentially displacing Harbhajan may have been the source of their friction too. 

Of course, it is worth pointing out that a lot of this is down to fans reading between the lines and not anything they ever said directly to or about one another.