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Harbhajan Singh challenges fan claim: T20 World Cup victory was team effort, not just Captain Dhoni

Harbhajan found it ironic that when India wins a tournament, the captain receives all the credit, whereas other nations credit the entire team for their victories.

Harbhajan Singh challenges fan claim: T20 World Cup victory was team effort, not just Captain Dhoni

Harbhajan Singh (R) and MS Dhoni (Photo: Twitter/@harbhajan_singh)

India cricket legend Harbhajan Singh has expressed his disagreement with a tweet from an MS Dhoni fan account, which credited the former captain as the sole reason for India’s victory in the T20 World Cup in 2007, just days after taking on the captaincy.

During the inaugural T20 World Cup held in South Africa, Dhoni was appointed as the captain of a young Indian squad, as senior players such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly opted out.

Harbhajan, who was a part of the victorious squad that defeated Pakistan in a thrilling final to clinch the title, found it ironic that when India wins a tournament, the captain receives all the credit, whereas other nations credit the entire team for their victories.

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The tweet from the fan account read, “No coach, no mentor, young boys, most of the senior players denied to take part. [Dhoni] never captained any single match before. This guy defeated prime Australia in the semifinals and won a T20 World Cup in 48 days after becoming captain.”

Responding to the claim, Harbhajan, a two-time World Cup winner, emphasized that when these matches were played, Dhoni was not playing alone, but as a part of a team. He pointed out the irony of how headlines attribute World Cup victories to countries like Australia, but when India wins, it is attributed solely to the captain. Harbhajan stressed that cricket is a team sport where victories and defeats are shared collectively.

The tweet came shortly after India suffered a significant 209-run defeat at the hands of Australia in the ICC World Test Championship final in London. This loss extended India’s wait for their first ICC trophy since 2013.

The last time the Indian men’s cricket team won an ICC title was under the leadership of MS Dhoni, when they emerged victorious in the 2013 Champions Trophy by defeating England.

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