Irfan Pathan, a former Indian cricketer, has spoken out about a new scandal involving MS Dhoni. He wonders if a “PR lobby” is behind an old interview clip that has gone viral. The dispute, which started years ago, is about Pathan’s vague claims about why he left the national team so suddenly in 2012.
The footage, which is from an interview in 2020, shows Pathan saying, “I don’t like to set up a hookah in someone’s room or talk too much.” Fans have taken this comment to mean that it was a sly jab at MS Dhoni, who was captain at the time and has been spotted smoking a hookah in private recordings. The clip’s return has brought back the discussion about Dhoni’s favoritism toward players and how the team worked together.
Pathan’s Answer and Yograj Singh’s Claims
Irfan Pathan has recently talked about the incident on X (previously Twitter), where he said he was upset. He said, “A video from five years ago is coming out now with a twisted meaning to the statement.” War between fans? “PR lobby?” In a different, funny reply to a fan, he tagged Dhoni and said, “Mein or @msdhoni sath Beth kar pienge ;)” (MS Dhoni and I will sit down and smoke together).
Other cricketers have also spoken out about the problem. Yograj Singh, Yuvraj Singh’s father, has spoken out, saying that not only Irfan Pathan but also Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag were treated badly while Dhoni was in charge. Yograj Singh said, “MS Dhoni doesn’t want to talk.” If you don’t want to answer, you probably feel bad.
MS Dhoni or someone who works for him has not spoken anything publicly about the topic yet. Both fans and the media have noticed that he hasn’t said anything.