MS Dhoni and Irfan Pathan (Image-X)

Irfan Pathan has once again stirred conversation around his old relationship with MS Dhoni after an interview resurfaced online. The former India all-rounder spoke about the lack of communication when he was dropped from the national team and made comments that were interpreted as a subtle dig at Dhoni. In the clip with SportsTak, Pathan also hinted that Dhoni used to smoke hookah and allegedly favoured players who joined him. Pathan’s international career ended abruptly in 2012, even after he picked up a five-wicket haul in his last ODI. The reasons behind his exclusion remain known only to the selectors and team management, but Pathan has often pointed to how the situation was handled under Dhoni’s captaincy. In the interview, Pathan recalled a conversation with Dhoni during the 2008 Australia series. He had heard media reports suggesting that Dhoni was unhappy with his bowling and wanted clarification. Dhoni reassured him that his performance was not an issue.

“Yes, I asked him. During the 2008 Australia series, Mahi bhai’s statement came out in the media that Irfan wasn’t bowling well. I thought I had bowled well throughout the series, so I went and asked Mahi bhai. Sometimes statements are twisted in the media, so I also wanted to clarify. Mahi bhai said, ‘No Irfan, there is nothing like this, everything’s going as per plans.’ When you get a reply like this, you believe that okay, you do what you can. Also if you keep asking for explanations again and again after that, you hurt your self-respect,” Pathan said. He added a subtle remark aimed at Dhoni, saying, “I don’t have a habit of setting up hookah in someone’s room or talking about this. Everyone knows. Sometimes if you don’t speak about it, it’s better. A cricketer’s job is to perform on the field and that is what I used to focus on.”The internet quickly picked up on Pathan’s comments, with fans sharing memes and revisiting memories of Dhoni’s successful teams from the 2010s. Pathan’s words have reignited discussion about how player management and team dynamics worked during Dhoni’s era.