Harbhajan Singh faces social media backlash after racist 'kaali taxi' remark on Jofra Archer during SRH vs RR match

Harbhajan Singh faces social media backlash for racist remark. (Photo:X/IPL)

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh, who is serving as a commentator for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, found himself embroiled in controversy during the Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals match. While commentating, Harbhajan made a peculiar reference to English pacer Jofra Archer using the term "kaali taxi" (black taxi), which sparked outrage on social media.

"London me kaali taxi ka meter tez bhaagta hai, Aur yaha pe Archer sahab ka meter bhi tez bhaaga hai (Like the meter of London's black taxis, Archer's meter has also been on the higher side)," Harbhajan was heard saying during his commentary stint in the SRH vs RR match.

Racism at PeakHarbhajan Singh Calling Archer Kali Taxi pic.twitter.com/ijdEqFgNbX
B I S W A J E E T (@Biswajeet_2277) March 23, 2025

Having faced racism himself during his playing career, Harbhajan’s remarks surprised many and led to widespread criticism online. Fans took to social media demanding an apology or clarification from the former spinner. However, as of now, he has yet to respond to the backlash.

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Harbhajan Singh has called Jofra Archer a black taxi driver with a high meter value just now in the Hindi commentary. This is vile and disgusting. Please ban him. ` (@FourOverthrows) March 23, 2025

:He called Jofra Archer a "black London taxi" during live commentary During IPL.Shame Shame Shame#HarbhajanSingh #JofraArcher #IPL2025 #RRvsSRH #CSKvsMI pic.twitter.com/zNPlVeBfgN
Pakistan Cricket Team USA FC (@DoctorofCricket) March 23, 2025

Coming to the match, Ishan Kishan's blitzkrieg trumped the heroic efforts from Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel as Sunrisers Hyderabad buried Rajasthan Royals under a deluge of runs to start its IPL 2025 campaign in style with a 44-run win on Sunday.

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After Travis Head teed off with a 31-ball-67 adding 94 for the opening stand with Abhishek Sharma, Kishan (106 not out off 47 balls) smashed a 45-ball-100 in his first appearance for the new franchise as Sunrisers Hyderabad scored 286 for 6, their second highest total in the history of IPL.