‘We did not speak about…’: Harbhajan Singh reveals chat with Ricky Ponting

Former India star off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who recently made headlines by revealing that he is not on speaking terms with former captain MS Dhoni, has now shared details about his conversation with Australian legend Ricky Ponting ahead of the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Harbhajan disclosed that his conversation with Ponting focused on the Punjab Kings. Ponting was appointed as PBKS head coach after parting ways with Delhi Capitals.

“Aaj baat yeh hui ki Punjab ki team kaise banayi hai, maine toh yeh pucha. Purani cheezo ke upar toh baat hui nahi. (today, I asked him that how the PBKS team is made. We did not speak about the old days). He (Ponting) said, ‘mate, you’re looking fitter than ever.’ So, I told him that I am trying to stay fit and step out on the ground again, even though if it is with the mic,” Harbhajan told the official broadcasters.

During their playing days, Harbhajan and Ponting were engaged in intense on-field rivalries. Their competitive nature sparked numerous heated exchanges, with several memorable confrontations defining their international cricket encounters.

‘I don’t speak to MS Dhoni’

Harbhajan, who played under Dhoni’s captaincy, including during the T20 World Cup win in 2007, the ODI World Cup triumph in 2011, and for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), made a surprise revelation that he doesn’t speak to Dhoni any longer.

“No, I don’t speak to Dhoni,” Harbhajan said talking to News18. “I don’t have anything against him. If he has something to say, he can tell me. But if he did, he would have told me by now.”

“When I was playing at CSK, that’s when we spoke; but otherwise, we haven’t spoken. It’s been 10 years and more. I have no reason; perhaps he does. I don’t know what the reasons are. When we were playing in the IPL at CSK, that’s when we used to talk, and that too was restricted to the ground. After that, he did not come to my room, nor did I go to his,” said Harbhajan, who also played 236 ODIs and 25 T20Is, taking 269 and 25 wickets respectively.