Five Indian cricketers who had alleged rifts with MS Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has always been in the spotlight, whether on the cricket field or off it. The former Indian captain is one of the most successful captains in the world, having won all three major ICC trophies in his time.
He won the T20 World Cup in 2007, before winning the 50-over World Cup in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013. He was also the captain when India achieved the number one ranking in Test cricket.
While he had plenty of success with his side, the journey wasn't all rosy throughout. During his captaincy tenure and playing career, there were rumors of rifts between MS Dhoni and a few of his teammates.
None of them have been proven beyond doubt. However, these stories did generate a fair amount of media coverage. Here, we take a look at five of those Indian cricketers who, allegedly, had issues with MSD.
#1 Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag was undoubtedly one of the most successful openers in world cricket, across formats. He was the vice-captain of the squad that helped India win the T20 World Cup in 2007, and seemed to share a good relationship with his captain.
However, things apparently turned sour between the two as time went on. During the Commonwealth Bank tri-series in Australia in 2012, MSD made the decision to use Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, and Sachin Tendulkar as per a rotation formula. In turn, one of these three players was kept out of the team.
The reason given by Dhoni in a press conference for this rotation policy was that these players were not the best fielders. Though he tried to couch his statement in gentle terms, saying they are not bad fielders, the statement did create a sensation.
Things seemingly became more volatile when Virender Sehwag, asked to comment on Dhoni's remarks in a press conference, curtly pointed to an impressive catch that he took in one of the matches of that tri-series.
Dhoni addressed the rumors of a rift, claiming that there was no such thing between himself and Sehwag.
However, the rotation policy didn't work as India lost crucial matches in the tri-series and were on the verge of being knocked out when it was shelved. But it was too late and the Men in Blue failed to reach the finals of the tournament.
#2 Gautam Gambhir
Much like Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir was a crucial part of the Indian side that won the T20 World Cup and the 50-over World Cup. He played a key role in the World Cup final in 2011, scoring a crucial 97 and forming a match-winning partnership alongside Dhoni.
In the above-mentioned tri-series in Australia in 2012, Gambhir was also described as a slow fielder by the Indian captain and kept out of some matches despite being in form.
In the coming years, Gambhir made several statements which could be seen as a dig at Dhoni. When a Bollywood biopic on the World Cup-winning Indian captain came out, Gambhir curtly remarked that Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting terrorists are the ones deserving of a biopic.
This was just one of many comments that were clearly aimed at the Indian captain. Though Dhoni hasn't responded to these remarks, it is safe to assume that the two former captains of the Indian team aren't the best buddies.
#3 Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh, alongside MS Dhoni, were the two lynchpins of the Indian middle order in their prime. Both players shared a memorable bromance, playing key roles in helping India win a number of games over the years.
However, Yuvraj's career was derailed after he suffered from cancer. While he did make a return to the side, he was far from his best on his return. There were claims that the star all-rounder didn't receive the same treatment from there on.
Yuvraj's father, Yograj Singh, publicly slammed the Indian captain for backstabbing his son. "I think I have never seen a terrible person like him in my life," said Yograj. The southpaw all-rounder cleared the air a few years later, taking to Twitter to mention that he shared a great relationship with the 41-year-old.
Iv got nothing to do with statements coming out in the media ! As iv said before enjoyed playing under dhoni no issues at all
#4 Harbhajan Singh
Grateful .youtu.be/9Xn0oAeJ7v8All good things come to an end and today as I bid adieu to the game that has given me everything in life, I would like to thank everyone who made this 23-year-long journey beautiful and memorable.
My heartfelt thank you 🙏 Grateful .youtu.be/9Xn0oAeJ7v8
Harbhajan Singh has been one of India's greatest spinners. However, the off-spinner struggled to retain his place in the Indian team, both in Tests and ODIs, after the 2011 World Cup. Ravichandran Ashwin, part of the Chennai Super Kings led by MS Dhoni, became India's leading off-spinner.
However, what really seemed to hint at a breakdown of relations was a television ad that Dhoni featured in. The advertisement came out in 2011 and was a mocking spoof of an ad that starred Harbhajan.
Soon after this ad came out, Harbhajan Singh's mother filed a court case asking for the commercial to be withdrawn as it was disrespectful to the family, especially Harbhajan's late father.
The fact that an Indian captain would feature in an ad that poked fun at his own teammate, that too in a way that would be construed as offensive by that player, is hard to digest. The slump in Bhajji's performances in the following months was linked by some to him not feeling great under MSD's leadership.
The two recently played together at Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. Harbhajan enjoyed an illustrious career, only officially retiring from the game late last year.
#5 Ravindra Jadeja
According to reports, Ravindra Jadeja is unlikely to play for Chennai Super Kings from next season 👀🇮🇳
#ravindrajadeja #csk #IPL #CricketTwitter https://t.co/41Udo9Km2c
Over the years, Ravindra Jadeja has been one of MSD's most trusted allies. The superstar all-rounder was given the opportunity to flourish in the Indian side by Dhoni, and the two continued to play together for the Chennai Super Kings as well.
After a number of successful years at the helm, Dhoni handed the captaincy mantle to Jadeja in the previous season of the IPL. CSK's campaign went poorly under the Saurashtra all-rounder's captaincy, as they lost six of their first eight matches.
Jadeja was effectively sacked as captain halfway through the season with Dhoni returning to the leadership role. The star all-rounder was allegedly left frustrated by the decision as he was made a scapegoat.
Reports suggest that Jadeja won't be returning to the Chennai Super Kings next season. He has also since deleted his CSK related posts on social media. While this may not be sufficient to prove that the two players have a 'rift', it may suggest that all is not well in the CSK camp.