“Game mein thoda spice hona chahiye” - Poonam Pandey reveals MS Dhoni’s reaction to her strip promise during 2011 World Cup
Model-turned-influencer Poonam Pandey has claimed that former India captain MS Dhoni reacted casually to her promise that she would strip if India won the 2011 World Cup. According to her, the legendary wicketkeeper-batter said it would add 'spice' to the game.
For the unversed, Pandey had promised to strip if India won the ICC event in 2011 before the final. However, she later said it was only a 'publicity stunt,' as quoted by Mint in 2015. India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to win the summit clash, ending their 28-year-long wait for the ODI trophy.
Speaking on a podcast recently, Poonam Pandey said (via @dostcast on Instagram):
"[MS Dhoni] said game mein thoda spice hona chahiye."
Watch the video below:
The publicity stunt worked well for Pandey as she achieved a lot of fame. She made her Bollywood debut and participated in several reality TV shows. The 33-year-old currently has three million followers on Instagram.
As per reports, she posted a nude picture after the Gautam Gambhir-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy in 2012. In 2020, she and her ex-husband Sam Bombay were arrested by Goa police for shooting obscene videos and posting them online before getting released on bail.
Earlier this year, Poonam's manager claimed that she had died of cervical cancer. Days later, it turned out to be another publicity stunt to spread awareness regarding the same.
Social media influencers and Bollywood actors often make controversial statements to stay in the news. For example - Urvashi Rautela had tendered an apology to India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for dragging his name into a controversy.
When Poonam Pandey said she would think about stripping if India won the 2021 WTC final
Poonam Pandey once said that she would think about stripping if India win the 2019-21 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final. In an old interview, she told Spotboye (via Crictoday):
“Cricket chalu hai? log cricket khel rahe hain? And if it is happening should I again say that I will strip if India wins this time? I have no clue about this. I will go back home. I will check and think of controversy if possible."
The Virat Kohli-led side lost to New Zealand by eight wickets in the WTC 2021 final.