Harbhajan sparks racism row with 'black taxi' comment on Archer
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has landed in a controversy for making a racially insensitive remark during an IPL 2025 match. The incident took place when he was commentating for the match between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23. Singh's comment immediately drew backlash from fans who called for his ouster from the IPL commentary team.
Racial remark
The comment that ignited controversy
The controversial comment came during the 18th over of the first innings when England pacer Jofra Archer was bowling to SRH batters Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen. After Klaasen hit two boundaries off Archer's delivery, Singh likened Archer's performance to London's black taxis. He said, "London me kaali taxi ka meter tez bhaagta hai, Aur yha pe Archer sahab ka meter bhi tez bhaaga hai."
Match performance
Archer's costly outing and IPL 2025
Archer's IPL 2025 maiden match was disappointing as he leaked 76 runs without a wicket against Hyderabad. This is now the most runs conceded by a bowler in IPL history, going past Mohit Sharma's 73 runs for Gujarat Titans against Delhi Capitals last year. Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad went on to defeat Rajasthan Royals by 44 runs in their season opener.
Team achievement
Sunrisers Hyderabad's record-breaking performance
Amid Archer's poor show, Sunrisers Hyderabad registered their fourth 250-plus total in T20 cricket. They just fell short of breaking their own IPL record for the highest team total by two runs, scoring 286 for six against Rajasthan Royals. Ishan Kishan was instrumental in this win, scoring his first IPL century off just 45 balls.