Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has revisited the controversial tenure of Greg Chappell as India's head coach, describing it as one of the darkest periods in the history of Indian cricket. Harbhajan accused the Australian great of creating divisions within the dressing room and damaging the team's unity during his time in charge. Chappell was appointed India's head coach in June 2005 after the team's impressive run to the final of the 2003 ODI World Cup, where they lost to Australia. However, his tenure became embroiled in controversy and ended after India's disappointing group-stage exit from the 2007 ODI World Cup.

Speaking on the Prakhar Gupta Podcast, "The way Chappell behaved with Dada (Ganguly), and whatever he did with the Indian team during those days, it was one of the darkest and worst chapters in the history of Indian cricket," Harbhajan said. "He spoiled the entire team. The players who played together in the 2003 ODI World Cup and shared such great bonding were no longer talking to each other," the former off-spinner added.

Harbhajan also suggested that the divisions within the team may have affected India's performances on the field. He pointed out that India were among the few sides capable of consistently challenging Australia during that era and speculated that internal conflicts weakened their competitiveness. The 2007 ODI World Cup proved to be a particularly disappointing campaign for India. Despite reaching the final in 2003, the team suffered a shock defeat to Bangladesh in the group stage, which played a major role in their early elimination.

Chappell's tenure remains a controversial chapter in Indian cricket history, particularly because of the tensions involving Ganguly and the team's disappointing World Cup campaign. Harbhajan's latest remarks have once again brought attention to the internal challenges faced by the Indian team during that period.