Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the former Indian cricket captain, is always a topic of discussion on social media platforms. Whether it's his honest opinions, his actions in remote villages, or his Indian Premier League (IPL) advertisements, Dhoni is always in the limelight. (More Cricket News)
However, this time, the former captain was trending for peculiar reasons. A viral video showed Dhoni smoking an electric hookah or water pipe at a social event. The video has divided people on the internet, with some supporting his actions and others criticising him.
While Dhoni's fondness for hookah may be new to cricket fans worldwide, former Australian captain George Bailey revealed back in 2018 that "He likes smoking a bit of the sheesha or the hookah. So, he quite often would set that up in his room, and it was very much an open-door policy. You would go in and quite often find a lot of younger players there. For India or a lot of other cricket teams, it can be hierarchical, but he certainly broke that down."
Bailey, who played alongside Dhoni during his time in the IPL, added, "You just find yourself in his room late at night, chatting inevitably about the game or different facets of the game, and with different people, it's a great way to break down barriers."
The viral came out as a surprise for many of his fans as he is widely considered conscious of his health and fitness. Netizens on the internet seemed divided over his actions. One user on X wrote, "Dhoni is looking cool while blowing hookah smoke. Note: Hukka isn't as injurious to health as cigarette or gutkha".
Another user wrote, "MS Dhoni smoking hookah in long hairs giving the similar vibe of Rocky bhai".
One user wrote, "TBH it's not a thing we should hype. It's better to stay away from these things. Take good qualities of Dhoni like calmness and down-to-earth Nature, Not the bad ones".
Several individuals have taken to social media to create memes, defend their own habits or express offence towards Dhoni's actions. However, there is no official confirmation of the authenticity of the video or the exact time at which the event occurred. Nevertheless, this incident has sparked discussions about Dhoni's personality off the field and his leadership style throughout his successful career.
To honour him, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) retired Dhoni's number 7 jersey. Dhoni has a huge fan following and will be playing for his team, Chennai Super Kings, for the last time in this year's IPL, starting in March.
