Indian former off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh, has slammed the quality of the Eden Gardens surface in Kolkata during the ongoing opening Test between India and South Africa, as 26 wickets fell within the first couple of days of play. On the third morning, the Proteas were bundled out for 153, setting India a target of 123 runs in the fourth innings. 

Harbhajan, who contributed massively in the famous Eden Gardens 2001 Test, snapped 13 wickets, expressed that such deteriorating pitches won’t be good for the health of the longest format. In the first innings of both sides, only 348 runs were scored for 20 wickets.

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“Just two days have passed, and we can see which way the game is going. They have done RIP to Test cricket. I don’t think Test cricket has any value left. India played exceptionally well in England recently; everyone praised them. The pitches on which they played and how India fought back to win that is Test cricket, that is fun.” Harbhajan Singh expressed during a video on his YouTube channel.

Harbhajan Singh slams Eden Gardens surface during IND vs SA 1st Test in Kolkata

Harbhajan also reckoned that both the batting legends of the game for India, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, would have struggled on these types of pitches. The batters kept playing for the spinning deliveries and got dismissed by the straight balls.

“This pitch is like, you pitch the ball here and it’s turning and going elsewhere. Batters hardly know what to do. Even the likes of Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar cannot survive on such pitches because one ball will keep low, bounce extra, or turn viciously to get your wicket. So, technique is not coming into play, just the pitch.” Harbhajan shed light.

“It’s been happening for years now. When I talk about it, people tell me Why do you speak about them. I don’t think we have seen such unprepared conditions. It’s not going the right way. It’s pathetic, utter nonsense to see this. They are making fun of the game.” The former spinner explained.

Dominating with the ball on home soil is always special for any bowlers in international cricket, and the bowlers who master it become legends. Achieving 250 Test wickets at home is a dream for any bowler, and if we talk about the Indian bowlers, the spinners are expectedly dominating in the list of Indian bowlers with 250 Test wickets at home. 

Indian bowlers with 250 Test wickets at home

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Ravindra Jadeja

The Indian left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, the only Indian left-arm bowler with at least 150 Test wickets at home, has now recorded 250 Test wickets at home in 103 innings (52 matches) during the 2025 Kolkata Test against South Africa. While he has recorded more than 340 Test wickets, more than 70 percent of his Test wickets have been recorded on home soil. In his home Test career, Jadeja's best bowling figures in an innings and in a match are 7/42 (vs Australia in the 2023 Delhi Test) and 10/110 (vs Australia at Delhi in the 2023 Delhi Test), respectively.  

Harbhajan Singh

Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh recorded 265 Test wickets in 103 innings (55 matches) at home. In his Test career, Harbhajan recorded 18 five-wicket hauls and four ten-wicket hauls at home. His best bowling figures in an innings in his home Test career were 8/84 against Australia during the 2001 Chennai Test. Meanwhile, his best bowling figures in a match at home Test were 15/217 in the same 2001 Chennai Test against Australia.  

Anil Kumble

Legendary Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble, India's only bowler with 600+ Test wickets (619 Test wickets), previously held the record for most Test wickets at home by an Indian, as he recorded 350 wickets in 115 home Test innings (63 matches). Kumble recorded 25 fifers and seven ten-wicket hauls at home in his Test career, with the records for the best bowling figures in an innings with 10/74 (vs Pakistan in the 1999 Delhi Test) and the best bowling figures in a match with 14/149 (vs Pakistan in the 1999 Delhi Test). 

Ravichandran Ashwin

Legendary Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, India's second leading Test wicket-taker (537 Test wickets), holds the record for the most Test wickets at home by an Indian with 383 wickets in 127 innings (65 matches) in home Tests. In his home Test career, Ashwin recorded 29 Test fifers and six Test ten-wicket hauls, with the best bowling figures in an innings and a match being 7/59 (vs New Zealand in the 2016 Indore Test) and 13/140 (vs New Zealand in the 2016 Indore Test), respectively.  

The former Indian off-spin all-rounder, Harbhajan Singh, has hit out at the social media platforms for using an AI-generated photo of his son. One of the media platforms, Masti Musti, shared an AI-generated photo of Harbhajan’s son, Jovan Veer, with the duo holding a cake to celebrate the youngster’s birthday.

Harbhajan Singh didn’t lightly take the picture and lost his cool to write ‘Whose son is this AI?’ on his X account (formerly known as Twitter). He tied the knot with the Bollywood actress, Geeta Barsa, nearly a decade ago in 2015. Their daughter, Hinaya Heer Plaha, was born in 2016, while they became parents for the second time to Jovan on July 10, 2021.

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Geeta, during a recent interview, shared the heartbreaking chapter of her life when she experienced two miscarriages after the birth of her first child. She shared that she had conceived twice after Hinaya, but on both previous occasions, their pregnancies ended in miscarriage.  

Harbhajan Singh hits out at social media post

Geeta had the unwavering support of her husband, Harbhajan Singh, during the tough period. She remembered how the former spin all-rounder for India and Punjab was out of the house during the incident, but flew to her side during the first miscarriage.

Whose son is this AI ? pic.twitter.com/99yds1jZ3z

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) October 28, 2025

“I tried twice, and I had two miscarriages, and it was a very difficult time because you feel like, 'I am fit, I am doing yoga, I am eating right... so what can go wrong? Why could I not hold the baby? Why was I miscarrying? When I had the first miscarriage, he was in Punjab, so he flew in the next day. I had to have a minor procedure in the hospital, and he was there through that.” Harbhajan Singh’s wife addressed during an interview.

Harbhajan, after the end of his playing career, started his commentary job. He has been flying around the world to comment on various tournaments, while he is expected to voice his opinions on the upcoming two-match Test series, three-match ODI series, and three-match T20I series for the Blue Brigade against South Africa.

Former Indian off-spinner and the 2011 World Cup winner, Harbhajan Singh, has publicly asked his friend and the former Indian coach, Gary Kirsten, to quit the post as the head coach of the Pakistan men's cricket team. In a hard-hitting post on social networking site X, Harbhajan suggested he'd prefer to see Kirsten working with Team India, than "waste time" with Pakistan cricket. 

Harbhajan's comments came on the back of reports from the media in Pakistan that claimed Kirsten was unhappy with the disunity of the Pakistan team in their dressing room. Kirsten, the South African coach, was said to have expressed his frustration with the team and that it had proven difficult to coach a team "where the players are separated, left and right."

On social media, Harbhajan said, "Don't waste ur time there, Gary. Come back to coach Team INDIA. Gary Kirsten, one of the rare gems, is a great coach, mentor for everyone in the 2011 team. Our winning coach of the 2011 World Cup. Special man, Gary."

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Harbhajan Singh wants Gary Kirsten back with Team India

Pakistan's early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024, after being eliminated by the groups, as the preliminary round is called, has put both players and management under the microscope. The tournament marked Kirsten's first major assignment with Babar Azam and his men since he was appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in early May.

In a reported quote from Kirsten by Pakistani journalists, the coach said, "There’s no unity in Pakistan’s team. They call it a team, but it isn’t a team. They aren’t supporting each other; they are working as individuals. I have been with teams, but as a coach, I haven’t seen that."

Kirsten's legacy of Indian cricket, on the other hand, has been golden. Under his watch, India won the 2011 World Cup, concluding a 28-year drought of a major ICC trophy, and reached the No. 1 ranking in Test cricket for a period of time. Before embracing the Pakistan role, Kirsten concluded his duties during the IPL as the mentor of the Gujarat Titans.

Harbhajan making the call so openly recognizes there is still a lot of respect and admiration Indian players possess for the man who helped shape arguably one of India's greatest triumphs on the cricket field.

Ravindra Jadeja, the new vice-captain of the Indian Test team, has to shoulder new responsibilities in the longest format after the retirement of veteran spin all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin. There would be times when he would need to discuss with the young spinners while they struggle to find the right line and length on a surface. That’s where the job gets bigger.

During the second Test against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, Jadeja earned a huge record during the second innings of the game. He added another milestone to his name by overtaking former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh to be the third leading wicket-taker for India at home across formats.

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The left-arm spinner achieved the feat when he got the wicket of John Campbell in the morning session of the fourth day for 115 runs to break the third wicket stand of 115 runs. The southpaw looked to reverse sweep the spinner but missed the straight ball and got trapped leg before the stumps as the umpire raised his finger after a long thought.

Ravindra Jadeja becomes India’s third leading wicket taker at home across formats

The wicket of Campbell has carried the Saurashtra spinner to 377 wickets, putting Singh at number four in the list. However, he has a long way to go to cross the top two. The veteran leg spinner, Anil Kumble, is in the first position with 476 wickets, followed by Ashwin with 475 wickets in the list.

Jadeja, during the first innings, ended with figures of 3/46 in 19 overs at an economy rate of 2.40. Campbell gave a sharp catch to Sai Sudharsan while Tagenarine Chanderpaul got caught by KL Rahul at the slip position. Roston Chase couldn’t read the trajectory of the ball and gave a simple catch to the bowler.

Jadeja, who isn’t part of India’s ODI squad for the upcoming Australia series down under, will take a break for the next three weeks before starting his preparation for the two-match home Test series against South Africa, which begins on November 14 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh strongly criticized Mohsin Naqvi for allegedly taking away the Asia Cup trophy and failing to return it to the rightful winners. His remarks added fuel to an already heated post-tournament controversy.

The issue surfaced after the conclusion of the eight-team Asia Cup on September 28, when India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in a thrilling final at the Dubai International Stadium. The victory marked yet another successful campaign for Team India on the continental stage.

However, what should have been a celebration quickly turned into a dispute over the trophy’s possession. Harbhajan expressed disappointment, emphasizing that such incidents tarnish the spirit of the game and the integrity of major international tournaments.

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Harbhajan Singh Strongly Criticizes Mohsin Naqvi:

Suryakumar Yadav’s Indian side reportedly declined to receive the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who serves as chairman of both the Asian Cricket Council and the Pakistan Cricket Board. The standoff caused nearly an hour’s delay in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Despite repeated attempts to resolve the issue, neither side backed down, forcing officials to call off the ceremony abruptly. While individual honours were presented to Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Kuldeep Yadav for their performances, the Indian team ultimately left without being handed the winning trophy, leaving fans and officials stunned by the unusual turn of events.

Following the dispute, Mohsin Naqvi reportedly walked out of the stadium, taking the Asia Cup trophy with him. The trophy is now said to be kept at the ACC headquarters, though Naqvi has expressed his intention to eventually hand it over to India.

Harbhajan Singh, however, dismissed the entire episode, stating that such behaviour holds no real significance. He emphasized that Naqvi does not have the authority to decide whether or not India should receive the trophy, and that administrative confusion should never overshadow the team’s rightful achievement on the field.

He said, “ A lot happened during the Asia Cup. About the handshake saga — before that, the bigger question was whether the matches should have happened at all.”

He further said, “ India won the tournament, and that is their biggest trophy. I don’t think Naqvi or anyone else is big enough to decide whether the trophy should be awarded or not. If not today, then tomorrow the trophy will be given, so what’s the point of keeping it aside? We have won it, and the trophy will come to us one day or another.”

Tensions Rise During Intense ACC Meeting:

After the Asia Cup ended, the ACC conducted a meeting where BCCI officials Rajeev Shukla and Ashish Shelar confronted Mohsin Naqvi. Despite repeated queries about returning the trophy to India, Pakistan’s Interior Minister avoided giving a clear response, leaving the matter unresolved and adding more tension to the already heated post-tournament discussions.

Naqvi clarified that he never apologized to the BCCI for his actions and even challenged India to collect the trophy directly from the ACC headquarters. The 2025 Asia Cup was marred by several controversies between India and Pakistan, unfolding amid heightened political tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, which added further intensity to the tournament’s already charged atmosphere.

The BCCI confirmed that it plans to raise concerns about Naqvi’s conduct with the ICC during the upcoming November 2025 meeting. Meanwhile, India dominated the Asia Cup, defeating Pakistan in all three encounters. The final turned out to be the most competitive clash, but Suryakumar Yadav’s team showcased remarkable consistency and control, firmly establishing themselves as the superior side throughout the tournament.

In a watershed decision to improve domestic cricket in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a big monetary reward for players who play the longer format of the game consistently. The board has said that any player who plays 14 first-class matches in a season will receive an additional match fee of ₹1 crore.

This decision was made at the BCCI's AGM in Mumbai and was reported by former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, a member of the Punjab Cricket Association and present at the AGM. Harbhajan said the decision will benefit domestic players, both in terms of financial security and the fact that it encourages players to commit to the rigour of first-class cricket.

"If a player plays 14 first-class matches, he will get an additional match fee of ₹1 crore. It will also be a great incentive for teams to make finals of domestic tournaments, and players will be incentivised to play as many matches as they can," Harbhajan said.

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BCCI introduces ₹1 crore reward to boost domestic cricket and support players

The initiative is viewed as a true game-changer for Indian cricket players at the grassroots level. While top-tier players abroad and those in the IPL are being well-compensated, many skilled domestic players do not have a financially rewarding contract and depend almost entirely on match fees. Cricketers like Abhimanyu Easwaran, who are not on any IPL team or BCCI central contracts, will gain the most advantage from this initiative.

The BCCI's actions demonstrate the board's commitment toward revitalizing the importance of domestic cricket, particularly the Ranji Trophy, which has historically been called the funnel for future India stars. By directly linking financial rewards to participation, the domestic tournaments will become more competitive as players will be more incentivized and serious when participating.

Aside from the new financial model, the AGM elected a new BCCI President, Mithun Manhas, a former captain of Delhi, who replaces Roger Binny. Man not only holds a wealth of knowledge and vision, but also holds over 9,700 first-class runs.

After introducing the incentive scheme, yet continuing to stay on-topic with the leadership change, the BCCI will make it clear about its intentions to empower domestic cricketers, grow competitiveness, and grow the developmental systems for India's future in cricket.

After India defeated Pakistan by six wickets in their Asia Cup 2025 Super Four clash, captain Suryakumar Yadav gave a bold statement. He suggested it was time to rethink calling these contests a genuine “rivalry.”

This was India’s second straight win over Pakistan in the tournament, having already outplayed them earlier in the group stage. For Suryakumar, the outcome highlighted the gap between the two sides.

His words carried weight — not just as a captain, but as a reflection of India’s dominance. By downplaying the idea of rivalry, he sent a clear message: the results themselves show where both teams stand in modern-day cricket.

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Indian Skipper Responds to India-Pakistan Rivalry:

When a senior Pakistani reporter questioned whether the gap in quality between the two teams had become too large, India’s skipper Suryakumar Yadav smiled before answering. His calm yet confident response reflected not only India’s dominance but also his composed leadership during the high-pressure Asia Cup clash. He said, “ Sir, my request is that we should now stop calling India vs Pakistan matches a rivalry.”

When the journalist specified he meant “standards, not rivalry,” Suryakumar responded with a playful grin. His witty comeback not only underlined India’s superiority on the field but also showed his ability to handle tricky questions with humor and confidence.

He further said, “ Sir, rivalry and standard are all the same. Now what is a rivalry? If two teams have played 15 matches and it’s 8-7, that’s a rivalry. Here it’s 13-1 (12-3) or something. There is no contest,” he quipped before walking out of the press conference room with a grin.”

Harbhajan Singh Shares his Opinion on this Arch-Rivalry:

Ex-India spinner Harbhajan Singh supported Suryakumar’s remarks with a humorous post on social media. Sharing a picture of Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma in a heated exchange with Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf, Harbhajan cleverly captioned it, adding his own lighthearted twist to the rivalry.

He wrote, “ The One Sided Rivalry 😂😂😂 Chak de India.”

The One Sided Rivalry 😂😂😂 Chak de India 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/5IpkSoeiQa

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) September 22, 2025

He went a step further by removing the word “Greatest” from the image, leaving only “Rivalry,” making a subtle yet pointed statement about the current state of the contest.

Recent meetings underline India’s clear dominance over Pakistan:

India’s dominance over Pakistan in T20 internationals is backed by numbers. Out of 15 encounters, India has claimed victory in 12, including an unbroken streak of seven wins across white-ball formats since the 2022 T20 World Cup.

The gap between the two sides has only grown wider. With Pakistan struggling after the retirement of key players, India’s well-settled squad continues to showcase consistency. Their earlier clash in this Asia Cup underlined the difference once again, as India chased down a modest target of 128 with ease, cruising to a seven-wicket win in the group stage.

India emphasized their dominance over Pakistan in T20 cricket once again, sealing a six-wicket victory in the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 match in Dubai on Sunday, September 21. The win was set up from a scorching, 105-run opening stand between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, which also improved the Men in Blue's winning streak in the tournament to four.

After bowling first, India bowled Pakistan for 171/5 with Shivam Dube leading the way at 2/33. Both Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with a wicket apiece. In response, India was led by Abhishek's firey 39-ball 74 and Gill's 47 off just 28 balls, as it did not take long for the Men in Blue to reel it in. Tilak Varma finished not out at 30* in the over and a half.

The emphatic result led to strong reactions from former players and experts alike. We take a look at the five best expert takes on India's latest triumph over their arch-rivals.

Murali Kartik 

Former spinner Murali Kartik commended India’s new openers for responding positively after a few hiccups in the field earlier. Kartik believed the match could have even ended earlier had Gill not departed mid-chase. 

“From 91 at halftime, getting only 80 more. And the way the Indian openers started – if we didn’t have the injury and Shubman Gill getting out, I thought by the 14/15th over this game would have been over. It was an easy win in the end, but the credit must go to the openers for batting so positively and forgetting about those dropped catches,” Kartik said on Cricbuzz.

This was India’s highest opening partnership against Pakistan in T20Is, eclipsing the 77-run partnership of Gautam Gambhir and Ajinkya Rahane in 2012.

Sunil Gavaskar

Iconic batsman Sunil Gavaskar praised Suryakumar Yadav’s side for responding to the pressure after the commotion in the previous group-stage meeting when India neglected to engage in the customary post-match handshake. 

“I think after all the halla-bullu that happened after the last game, the pressure was definitely on the Indians. Yes, there was pressure to win the match in style, given everything that happened on Sunday. But, they showed that they had the temperament to deal with all of that and perform under pressure," Gavaskar told India Today.

Harbhajan Singh 

Harbhajan Singh, a former off-spin bowler, made a point about the disparity between the two sides, noting that India sees true competition in teams that dominate worldwide - not in teams from Asia.

"Pakistan is a young team, but right now they don't have that strength. The way their pacers were hit off in the first six overs speaks to India's level being above. India's contest is not with Pakistan or Afghanistan or any Asian team - it is with Australia and England," Harbhajan said on Sports Tak.

India are the defending Asia Cup champions and have now won the trophy a record total of eight times.

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Ravichandran Ashwin

Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was forthright in his evaluation, stating that the current Indian team is on a different level entirely.

“There is a big difference between emotion and skill. The previous generation matches between India and Pakistan had their share of emotion which would lead to mistakes. This Indian team is on a different league altogether. This Pakistan team is a long, long, long, long way away. The best way Pakistan can win this Asia Cup is if India don’t play,” remarked Ashwin his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat.

At this stage in the history of the Asia Cup, India has a decisive head-to-head record, winning 13 matches out of the 22 played.

Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan, a former all-rounder, appreciated the Indian bowling unit, which managed to limit Pakistan to a modest total despite the star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah having a rare off day (0/45 in 4 overs). He also referred to the "impact" of Shivam Dube as the sixth bowler. 

"If a big bowler like Jasprit Bumrah has a bad day, whichever team he is representing usually struggles. But after Bumrah was subpar, India did not let Pakistan cross 200 runs, which shows the quality of the Indian bowling unit: spin and the sixth pacer. This is where Pakistan is behind - in batting and bowling. There is a very huge gap. India are way ahead," Pathan said on his YouTube channel. 

Dube's two wickets of Sahibzada Farhan - 58 and Saim Ayub - 21 were also important in stemming Pakistan's start.

Dominance Continues

India's victory not only bolstered their culture credentials for the Asia Cup but simultaneously extended the illusory gap between the two rivals even more. While Pakistan continues its inconsistency, analysts suggest that India's plan will be to challenge themselves against the true best in world cricket — Australia and England. 

For now, Suryakumar Yadav's team represents the challenge for the rest of Asia, breezing into the next phase of the 2025 Asia Cup as the only unbeaten team entering the business end of the tournament.

The Indian spin all-rounder, Harbhajan Singh, who stepped in with relief work in the flood-affected state, Punjab, made a recent visit to the village Pindi Saida in the border area of Amritsar for flood rehabilitation work along with the five Rivers Foundation.

The former World Cup-winning member of the Indian side from the 201 season sanctioned steamer boats for the boat operations and added three more from his own resources. The legendary India spinner has shared the photos and videos of the visit and wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he wanted to thank everyone for their contributions to the flood-affected Punjab.

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“Visited the village Pindi Saida in the border Area Amritsar for flood rehabilitation work along with Five Rivers Foundation. We were able to send two ambulances from Tera Tera Foundation, and I want to sincerely thank everyone who contributed. Because of your support, we were able to provide not only 2 ambulances but also petrol, diesel, clothes, medicines, and food for those in need.” Harbhajan Singh expressed on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Watch: Harbhajan Singh visits Pindi for rehabilitation work in Amritsar area

Punjab has faced a severe flood situation over the last few weeks, triggered by the heavy, unfamiliar monsoon season, which has breached the river embankments, leading to the large-scale displacement of people and damage to crops. These districts remain waterlogged, with the state government and voluntary groups pressed into the relief work.

visited the village Pindi Saida in border Area Amritsar for flood rehabilitation work along with Five Rivers Foundation. We were able to send two ambulances from Tera Tera Foundation, and I want to sincerely thank everyone who contributed. Because of your support, we were able to… pic.twitter.com/ojWQGdJZJ4

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) September 19, 2025

“A special mention to Dr. Swaiman Singh and the incredible team of doctors from Five Rivers Foundation, who are volunteering their time and expertise to ensure people remain safe, healthy, and hygienic during this crisis.” The World Cup-winning member of the Blue Brigade penned down in the post.

“We will continue to do everything possible to help put Punjab back on track. Please keep supporting the people of Punjab in this difficult time. Waheguru Mehar Kare.” Harbhajan Singh added in the post on X. Along with him, some of the other cricketers, including Yuvraj Singh, and Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, also helped in raising the relief fund.