Former Indian national cricket team player Harbhajan Singh has found himself in hot water following a controversial comment he made about England Cricket Team fast bowler Jofra Archer during an IPL 2025 match. The incident took place on Sunday, March 23, during the game between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Harbhajan who was in the commentary box, compared Archer to a "black taxi" in London, sparking outrage among fans who deemed the remark racially insensitive.

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In the 18th over of SRH's innings, with Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen dominating Archer's bowling Harbhajan made the ill-timed joke, saying, "London me kaali taxi ka meter tez bhaagta hai, aur yaha pe Archer sahab ka meter bhi tez bhaaga hai" (In London, the black cabs' meters run fast, and here, Archer’s meter is also running fast). The comparison was made as Archer conceded 76 runs in four overs, marking the most expensive bowling figures in IPL history.

Archer had a challenging debut in IPL 2025, struggling to find his rhythm. He ended his spell with no wickets and a massive 76 runs conceded breaking the unwanted record for the most expensive bowling figures in IPL history. His poor performance was further overshadowed by Harbhajan's remarks which many felt added insult to injury.

The comment came after Klaasen hit Archer for consecutive boundaries adding to the pressure the England pacer was facing on the field. Despite Harbhajan's intention of making light of the situation the joke didn’t sit well with many viewers who took to social media to express their disappointment.