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Irfan Pathan Responds To MS Dhoni Hookah Controversy: "Sath Beth Kar Pienge"
Follow UsPathan had said that MSD smoked hookah and preferred players who joined him in those sessions
Irfan Pathan has finally broken his silence on an old video that recently resurfaced and went viral on social media, where he is seen jokingly suggesting that India’s most successful captain, MS Dhoni, smoked hookah and preferred players who joined him in those sessions.
Pathan, the fast-bowling all-rounder from Baroda, represented India in 29 Tests, 120 ODIs, and 24 T20Is, taking more than 300 wickets and scoring 2821 runs across formats. A member of India’s historic 2007 T20 World Cup-winning squad, he last played for the national side in 2012.
In an old interview with SportsTak, Pathan had said: “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 resurfaced clip triggered criticism, with many accusing Pathan of attempting to damage Dhoni’s image or using the remark to stay relevant.
However, when a fan asked him on X (formerly Twitter), “Pathan bhai woh hookey ka kya hua???”, he responded in his trademark light-hearted style: “Mein or @msdhoni sath Beth kar pienge;).”
Pathan also hinted at a PR agenda behind the sudden controversy, writing: “Half decade old video surfacing NOW with a twisted context to the Statement. Fan war? PR lobby?”
Meanwhile, Dhoni, now 44, was last seen in action for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and is widely expected to return for yet another season in IPL 2026.