Overview

• The viral footage comes from a 2020 SportsTak interview in which Pathan recalled a 2008 chat where Dhoni denied being unhappy with his bowling.
• Pathan’s line, “I don’t have a habit of setting up hookah in someone’s room,” was widely interpreted online as hinting at favoritism during Dhoni’s captaincy.
• Posting on X on September 3, Pathan said the “half decade old” video was resurfacing with a “twisted context,” asking, “Fan war? PR lobby?”
• Responding to a fan, Pathan tagged Dhoni and quipped, “Mein or @msdhoni sath Beth kar pienge,” taking a playful tack after days of trolling and memes.
• Outlets cited a 2018 George Bailey comment about Dhoni’s hookah sessions for context, while official voices have stayed silent and the conversation has shifted to online reaction.