Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has opened up about a controversial episode from the early stages of his career, recalling how he was expelled from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru in 2000 after tearing up a diet chart.
Harbhajan, who went on to become one of India's most successful spinners, said the incident was the result of repeated complaints over the food being served at the academy. He insisted that he had stood up for what he believed was the players' right rather than simply breaking the rules.
Harbhajan Singh recalls why he tore up NCA diet chart
Harbhajan was part of the first batch of trainees at the NCA when the academy was established in 2000. According to the former India spinner, the players were provided with a prescribed diet, but the food being served did not
match what was mentioned on the chart.
He claimed that the players had complained about the issue several times, but nothing changed.
"They removed me from there. It was not my mistake, I say this openly even today. It was our right. The food was not good there," Harbhajan said in an interview with CricketNext.
"Back then, the rules and regulations were such that we were told and taught a lot, and a chart was put up for the diet. But we were not getting food as per that diet. Despite complaining many times, the food did not improve. "
The frustration eventually boiled over, with Harbhajan tearing up the diet chart.
"So one day I tore that chart. This was my only mistake, that I tore the chart," he said.
'I was fighting for the rights'
Harbhajan believes that his actions were ultimately about forcing the authorities to address an issue that had already been raised multiple times.
He argued that had he not challenged the situation, the same system could have continued.
"But maybe till someone does something like this, things don't change. I was fighting for the rights," Harbhajan said.
"If I had not stood up, even today the same diet plan would have been followed. "
While acknowledging that he was removed from the academy, Harbhajan maintained that he did not believe he was wrong for raising the issue.
"The plan changed, I was also removed, that is a different thing, but it was not my fault," he added.
Harbhajan Singh claims some BCCI officials did not want questions
The former spinner also suggested that his confrontation reflected a wider culture within Indian cricket at the time.
Harbhajan claimed there were people within the BCCI who were uncomfortable with players questioning decisions or challenging the system.
"There were some people in the BCCI who did not want someone who could stand up and question them," he said.
The episode did not prevent Harbhajan from establishing himself at the highest level. He made his India debut in 1998 and went on to represent the national team until 2016.
From NCA expulsion to 700-plus international wickets
Harbhajan eventually built one of the most decorated careers by an Indian spinner.
Across his international career, he took more than 700 wickets for India across Tests, ODIs and T20Is. He finished with 417 Test wickets, 269 ODI wickets and 25 T20I wickets.
His career-defining period came during India's successful run in the 2000s, including the historic 2001 Test series against Australia.
Harbhajan took 32 wickets in that three-Test series, including a hat-trick in the Kolkata Test, as India came from behind to beat Steve Waugh's Australia 2-1.
He later became a key member of India's limited-overs setup and was part of the teams that won the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup.
Looking back, the NCA incident was a controversial early chapter in a career that ultimately established Harbhajan as one of India's most successful spinners.
