Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh known for giving blunt responses whether on the field or off it was in action again on social media on Friday, March 15. A Pakistani fan shared an edit of images with Pakistan cricketers such as Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan in IPL kits saying that the fans of both countries want to see them in the IPL. However, Harbhajan was quick to respond to the fan on social media.
"No indian hv such dreams .. you guys plz stop dreaming. Wake up now," Harbhajan wrote in a response to the fan on Twitter (now X). Not just him, several fans from both countries have wished for Pakistan players to play in the IPL but this is a decision out of control of just the cricketing factor.
The Pakistan cricketers haven't been allowed to play in the IPL since the inaugural edition in 2008 due to diplomatic relations between the two countries or the lack of them, especially after the Mumbai Attacks of 26/11 in the very same year.
The bilateral between the two nations are also stopped since 2012-13 when the the two teams last played an ODI series against each other. Since then, the two teams have locked horns only in multi-team events such as the World Cup or the Asia Cup. After three encounters last year (two in the Asia Cup and one in the World Cup), India and Pakistan will take on each other this time around in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in New York on June 9.
As far as the IPL is concerned, it has become probably the biggest T20 league in the world considering the scale it has reached in 16 years and the quality of overseas players except Pakistan, who arrive every year to be part of the lucrative tournament.
