Harbhajan Singh’s reply to Kirti Azad’s dig at the Indian team has gone viral on the internet. Azad, questioned the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) over why the Indian cricket team, which includes players from multiple faiths, only visited temples after winning trophies and could not visit a mosque, a church and a gurudwara instead.<\/p>\n
Azad, in his now viral post on X, slammed the BCCI for supposedly dragging the Indian team into a religious debate, where the dominant religion in the country was being highlighted. Azad said that the trophy belonged to 1.4 billion people and not to only one religion\u2019s victory lap.<\/p>\n
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Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh, who won the 2011 ODI World Cup with India, responded to Azad\u2019s comments and served him a lesson in harmony. Harbhajan said in an eloquent manner that a temple, a mosque, a church and a gurudwara were the same, and that it was shameful to question a player or a board member for exercising their faith.<\/p>\n
“It is absurd what he (Kirti Azad) is trying to do by playing politics with this. The Indian team can take the trophy to a temple, a mosque, a church, wherever they want to. If they have asked something from their God and have revisited their faith after their wish was fulfilled, what’s the problem in that?” Harbhajan Singh said.<\/p>\n
“It is unfortunate to hear these things from fellow cricketers. Maybe they are preferring politics over the sport. It is even more unfortunate that he is a sportsman. The country has won a World Cup. Be happy, celebrate, but you are busy doing politics. We say in our faith that all religions are the same. There may be different Gods, but the path is the same. If they went to a temple, a mosque or a church, it is the same. It is their faith and you should not be questioning it,” he added.<\/p>\n
#WATCH<\/a> | Delhi | On BCCI announcing Rs 131 Crore prize money for Team India for winning the ICC T20 World Cup, Former Indian Cricketer and Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh, says, “I was expecting more, because when such a big task is undertaken, the reward should be even greater. pic.twitter.com\/xOxejmhZEG<\/a>\u2014 ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n WHAT DID KIRTI AZAD EXACTLY SAY?<\/p>\n Kirti Azad\u2019s statement criticised the Indian team for taking the World Cup trophy to a temple, arguing that the team represents people of all religions in India. It said that the trophy belongs to all 1.4 billion Indians and questioned why it was not taken to places of worship of other faiths such as mosques, churches or gurudwaras.<\/p>\n The post also invoked the 1983 World Cup team as an example of religious diversity in Indian cricket and argued that the celebrations should reflect that inclusivity.<\/p>\n KISHAN DEFLECTS QUESTION<\/p>\n Earlier, Ishan Kishan calmly deflected a question<\/a> about the controversy surrounding former cricketer Kirti Azad after arriving in Patna following India\u2019s T20 World Cup triumph. The wicketkeeper batter landed at Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport on Tuesday as part of the celebrations after India\u2019s title winning campaign.<\/p>\n During an interaction with the media, a journalist asked Kishan about Azad\u2019s remarks regarding the decision to take the T20 World Cup trophy to a temple after the victory. Azad\u2019s comments had sparked debate on social media and among fans.<\/p>\n Kishan, however, chose not to engage in the controversy. Instead, he responded calmly and shifted the focus back to the team\u2019s historic achievement in the tournament. The left handed batter politely urged the journalist to ask questions about the World Cup and the team\u2019s journey instead of the ongoing debate.<\/p>\n \u201cI have just won such a wonderful World Cup. Please ask better questions. What can I say about what Kirti Azad said? Please ask some good questions. Tell me how it feels and how much fun it was,\u201d Kishan said.<\/p>\n T20 World Cup<\/a> | T20 World Cup Schedule<\/a> | T20 World Cup Points Table<\/a> | T20 World Cup Videos<\/a> | Cricket News<\/a> | Live Score<\/a><\/p>\n – Ends<\/p>\n Published By: <\/p>\n Kingshuk Kusari<\/p>\n Published On: <\/p>\n Mar 10, 2026 19:13 IST<\/p>\n