Irfan Pathan On ‘MS Dhoni Hookah’ Row: Old Clip, New Spin, And A Call To End Fan Wars

An old interview of Irfan Pathan has resurfaced online, sparking a fresh social-media storm around his comments that many have linked to MS Dhoni. In the clip, recorded years ago, Pathan spoke about the period leading up to his exit from the Indian team, and referenced not being the kind of player who “sets up hookah in someone’s room.” As the video went viral in a new context, the former all-rounder broke his silence, hinting at a possible “PR lobby” and “fan war” behind the timing and spin. He also lightened the mood by joking that he and Dhoni would “sit together and drink” when a fan pulled his leg about the controversy.

Pathan last played for India in 2012, bowing out of ODIs with a five-wicket haul. Over the years, he has spoken about approaching Dhoni directly during the 2008 Australia tour after media chatter suggested the captain wasn’t impressed with his bowling. According to Pathan, Dhoni denied any such issue and told him things were on track. Pathan says he didn’t keep revisiting the conversation so as not to hurt his self-respect, choosing instead to focus on performance. In the resurfaced clip, he also emphasises he is not someone who curries favour off the field—remarks that the internet reinterpreted as a direct swipe.

Soon after the video trended again, Pathan posted that a “half-decade-old video” was being shared with a “twisted context,” asking whether this was driven by a PR play or fan wars. In parallel, another old clip of Pathan praising his bond with Dhoni, Suresh Raina, and Robin Uthappa also re-emerged, where he said the four often ate together—highlighting that not everything between him and Dhoni was negative. The twin clips underline what often gets lost in social-media flashpoints: long careers have layers, relationships evolve, and a single quote seldom tells the whole story.

What matters today is context. Pathan’s career arc was shaped by early highs, injury setbacks, fierce competition, and selection calls only selectors and team management can fully explain. Dhoni, for his part, captained through a demanding period filled with trophies and tough choices. Old sound bites, revived years later, can inflame fan camps—but they rarely change what both men did on the field. Pathan’s own responses—mixing a firm rebuttal with humour—suggest he’d rather move on than feed a cycle of blame.

For cricket followers, the takeaway is simple: resist the urge to weaponise dated clips for fresh outrage. Careers are more complex than a meme; context beats cherry-picked lines; and respect for players on both sides goes a long way in keeping the conversation sane.