Harbhajan Singh Stirs Controversy By Comparing Jofra Archer With Black Taxis Of London

Harbhajan Singh found himself at the center of a social media storm after a comment which he made during his commentary stint for the IPL 2025 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals. While discussing Jofra Archer’s expensive spell, he made an analogy comparing the pacer’s run leakage to the speed of black taxis in London.

The remark came during the 18^th over of SRH’s innings when Heinrich Klaasen struck Jofra Archer for consecutive boundaries.

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Drawing a comparison, Harbhajan noted that just like the meter of black taxis in London runs fast, Jofra Archer’s economy rate had been soaring at a similar pace during the game. His comment, however, did not go well with several viewers, leading to calls for an apology on social media.

Here is the video clip:

https://x.com/RitamPunjabi/status/1904068422545342770

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For Jofra Archer, the match turned into a nightmare as he recorded the most expensive bowling figures in the history of the tournament. The English pacer conceded 76 runs in his four-over spell, surpassing Mohit Sharma’s previous record of 73 runs in a single innings. His struggles began early, as he gave away 23 runs in his first over, followed by 12 in the next. When he returned in the 13^th over, things only got worse as he was hit for another 22 runs. His misery was compounded in the death overs, where he leaked another 23 runs, capping off a day to forget.

Jofra Archer’s inclusion in the Rajasthan Royals squad had been a last-minute addition to the IPL mega auction final list, where the franchise secured him for ₹12.5 crore. However, his performance in this game left much to be desired.

Despite Jofra Archer’s tough outing, Rajasthan Royals put up a spirited fight. Sunrisers Hyderabad had posted a massive 286/6 after being put in to bat at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. RR, in response, kept up the chase with aggressive intent but eventually fell short, finishing at 242/6. While the game itself was an entertaining run-fest, the controversy surrounding Harbhajan’s remarks has added an unexpected off-field narrative to the contest.