5 Instances when controversial statements were made against MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, arguably one of the best captains of all time in world cricket has won every possible trophy for the teams he has represented. Synonymous with the term ‘cool’, Dhoni often maintains a down-to-earth conduct on the field but has at times been at the centre of controversy. 

During his professional career, the Ranchi-born cricketer established himself as a clinical finisher with the bat and single-handedly won games for his sides. It was his ability to hold his nerve during the crunch moments and make tough calls on the field as skipper and score vital runs as a batter that made him an astute player. 

Not every other skipper is fortunate enough to get compared to the likes of Clive Lloyd, Ricky Ponting among others. However, MS Dhoni was often compared to the aforementioned greats as under him the Men in Blue clinched the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. 

If you are one of the most popular faces in the sports industry, it is nearly impossible to stay away from the media and get away with controversies. India’s most successful skipper too found himself in a spot of bother at times. In this piece, we take a look at the top five instances when controversial statements were made against the former India skipper.

Five controversial statements made against MS Dhoni

5. Sreesanth’s father accused Dhoni for spoiling pacer’s reputation

The Kerala-born cricketer shared an unusual chemistry with the former India skipper during his stint with the national side. In 2013, when the pacer was found involved in the spot-fixing scandal, Sreesanth’s father- Shantakumaran Nair alleged that it was Dhoni and spinner Harbhajan Singh who had implicated his son in the same. 

"Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh had been involved in controversies (with Sreesanth) in the past. Dhoni, the captain, had threatened that Sreesanth would not be in the Indian team. Both have this enmity towards Sreesanth. He (Sreesanth) has been longing to return to the Indian team. He would not deliberately get involved in such an act when he wanted to return to the Indian team,” told Nair as quoted by the Indian Express. 

However, the pacer’s father issued an apology later and stated that he made the initial comments in the heat of the moment due to an emotional outburst. Despite the controversial statements made against the former India skipper, Dhoni decided not to respond to the allegations.