It's not uncommon for fan wars to erupt, but when it comes to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, things can get especially ugly. This time, the two major fandoms¡ªVirat Kohli's and MS Dhoni's¡ªclashed over a remark made by former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh.
While Kohli and Dhoni have always shared immense respect and affection for each other, it seems their fans can't even stand the thought of the two being friends. With things between the two fandoms already heated, Harbhajan's comment added fuel to the fire and sparked a full-blown social media war.
During a show, the veteran off-spinner claimed that only MS Dhoni has "real fans," dismissing other cricketers' followers as mere "social media or paid fans," regardless of their popularity across platforms. The remark didn't sit well with Kohli's supporters, who saw it as a dig at their idol and quickly launched an online backlash.
Kohli's fans responded with the hashtag 'Shame on Deshdrohi Dhoni' on X (formerly Twitter), which began trending shortly after.
It didn't take long for Dhoni's supporters to strike back with their own hashtag 'National Shame Kohli¡¯. This is in reference to the unverified reports of Kohli possibly signing with English county side Middlesex. However, these claims remain unconfirmed and are likely false, as no official announcement has been made.
Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans gathered at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on May 17 to pay tribute to Virat Kohli following his retirement from Test cricket. Many wore India's Test jersey with 'Kohli' on the back, honouring the Delhi-born cricketer's immense contributions to the red-ball format.
On the field, RCB currently sit at the top of the points table and are on the verge of securing a Playoff spot, with just the 'Q' left to be added next to their name. In contrast, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) became the first team to be officially knocked out of the IPL 2025 Playoff race after a four-wicket loss to Punjab Kings (PBKS), marking a disappointing end to MS Dhoni's campaign this season.?