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Irfan Pathan breaks silence on the viral hookah controversy involving MS Dhoni, stating his old interview was twisted out of context and fueled by fan wars or PR lobbies.
MS Dhoni (L) and Irfan Pathan.
(PC: X)
Irfan Pathan has given a brief statement on the recent ‘hookah’ controversy, which also involves MS Dhoni and has been going viral on social media. However, instead of clarifying his old interview remarks, Pathan suggested that they had been ‘twisted’ out of context, as part of either ‘fan wars’ or ‘PR lobbies’.
In this old interview with Sports Tak, Pathan spoke about how, once in 2008, after being dropped from the Indian team, he saw a media statement from Dhoni stating the all-rounder was not bowling well, and he confronted him about it. But, Pathan said, Dhoni denied that.
Pathan then mentioned in the interview that he didn’t have a habit of setting up a ‘hookah’ (a tobacco pipe, popular in North India) for players, without naming anyone. Since then, fans on the internet have assumed it to be Dhoni, digging out old news articles and photos of the India legend smoking at parties.
“Half decade old video surfacing NOW with a twisted context to the Statement. Fan war? PR lobby?” Pathan said on Wednesday on X (formerly Twitter).
After being dropped in the Australia series, Pathan only played one more Test, ending his career with 29 Tests, 100 wickets, and over a thousand runs.
Here’s what he says in the viral video: “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.’… 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.”
Dhoni hasn’t commented on the issue. He’s said to be preparing to play the IPL 2026 season, which is believed to be his last in the tournament.
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