Sipu Jha
NEW DELHI: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has once again found himself in the headlines after an old interview resurfaced on social media, sparking renewed debate about his relationship with former India captain MS Dhoni. In that interview, Pathan hinted that Dhoni used to smoke hookah and allegedly favoured players who joined him, a claim that has triggered widespread trolling and discussion among fans. Amid this, another video clip of Pathan from a public event has also been doing the rounds. In that video, the host asked him about his first friends in the Indian cricket team. Pathan replied candidly, saying: “Robin Uthappa, Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Ye teen jo khiladi hote they, na to ye mere bina khana khate they, na to mai inke bina khana khata tha. Itni hamari zabarzast yaari thi jab hum saath mai khelte they [These three players never ate without me, and I never ate without them. That’s how strong our friendship was when we played together].” His words highlighted the bond he once shared with Dhoni and others, in stark contrast to the friction often speculated about in later years.Pathan’s international career ended in 2012, despite him taking a five-wicket haul in his last ODI. While the selectors and management never publicly clarified the reasons, Pathan has on multiple occasions hinted that the circumstances of his exclusion were influenced by Dhoni’s leadership.In 29 Tests, Pathan scored 1,105 runs at an average of 31.57, including one century and six fifties, while also taking 100 wickets at 32.26 with seven five-wicket hauls and two ten-wicket match hauls. His memorable 7/59 remains one of the finest bowling efforts by an Indian seamer.In ODIs, he played 120 matches, scoring 1,544 runs at 23.39, while claiming 173 wickets at 29.72 with a best of 5/27. In T20Is, he featured in 24 games, picking up 28 wickets at a strike rate of 16.5 and scoring 172 runs at a healthy strike rate of 119.44.
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