New Delhi (2025): Former India captain MS Dhoni, who has been on a break after IPL 2025, has unexpectedly found himself in the middle of a new storm. An old interview with Irfan Pathan has resurfaced on social media, triggering heated debates in the cricket world.
Irfan Pathan’s Old Interview Goes Viral
A five-year-old interview of Irfan Pathan on the Sports Tak YouTube channel is now being widely shared online. In the video, Pathan revealed that during the 2008 Australia series, there were reports that Dhoni was unhappy with his bowling. Pathan said he directly asked Dhoni about it, but the then captain assured him that “everything was going as planned.”
Ms dhoni used to select those players who set hukka for him, i denied and i got dropped – Irfan Pathan pic.twitter.com/tlbFPvYZNU
— Popa 🇮🇳 (@rafalekohli) September 1, 2025
Pathan also added, “I don’t have the habit of going to anyone’s room and getting a hookah ready. A cricketer’s job is to perform well on the field, and that’s what I focused on.”
Though Pathan did not name anyone directly, fans have interpreted the remark as a hint that Dhoni supported only select players.
Finally Yograj Singh speaks about Dhobi’s hookah controversy 🫡 pic.twitter.com/WZOMJcw1zn
— Vivek (@hailKohli18) September 5, 2025
Yograj Singh’s Harsh Attack on Dhoni
The viral video reignited old debates, and Yuvraj Singh’s father, Yograj Singh, launched a scathing attack on Dhoni.
“This is not just about Irfan Pathan. Players like Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, and Harbhajan Singh were also mistreated by Dhoni. Harbhajan was dropped like a curry leaf. A committee should investigate why Dhoni did this,” Yograj said.
He further claimed that Dhoni’s silence shows guilt:
“Those who do not want to answer are guilty. Captains like Kapil Dev, Bishan Singh Bedi, and Dhoni have ruined many players’ careers.”
Irfan Pathan Clarifies
As the “hookah controversy” gained momentum, Irfan Pathan took to Twitter to clarify. He wrote,
“A five-year-old video is now being distorted and released in the wrong context. Is this fan rivalry or PR lobby work?”
He later joked in response to a fan, saying,
“Dhoni and will sit together and smoke hookah,” attempting to cool tensions.
Dhoni’s Silence
So far, Dhoni has remained silent on the issue. Fans and critics are now debating whether his silence is a sign of guilt or simply his way of avoiding unnecessary controversies.
Yuvraj Singh’s Fresh Advice to Youngsters
Amid the storm, cricket legend Yuvraj Singh shifted the spotlight by offering unique advice to young players Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. At the launch of the Indian Golf Premier League in Delhi, Yuvraj encouraged them to play golf as a way to relax and manage stress.
“If you’re out in a match, you keep thinking about the next game. But if you play golf on your day off, you return with a fresh mind. Sometimes, a different sport helps you perform better in cricket,” Yuvraj explained.
He also joked that had he played golf earlier in his career, he would have scored 3,000 more runs.
The Bigger Picture
While the Dhoni-Irfan Pathan “hookah controversy” continues to trend, cricket fans are divided. Some feel old wounds are being needlessly reopened, while others believe the issue raises important questions about favouritism in Indian cricket.
At the same time, Yuvraj’s message about mental health and balance offers a positive takeaway for India’s next generation of cricketers.