[WATCH] ‘I don’t set up Hookah’ – Irfan Pathan’s old comment on MS Dhoni resurfaces

There has been a resurgence of an old video with former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan discussing MS Dhoni. In addition to recalling a chat with Dhoni, Pathan had provided insight into his abrupt departure from the national setup in the video.

When the left-arm pacer learned that the skipper wasn’t thrilled with his bowling, he once went up to Dhoni. Dhoni, however, denied such allegations and reassured him that they were untrue.

In 29 Tests, 120 ODIs, and 24 T20Is, Irfan Pathan played for India.

He amassed 2,821 runs in all formats and took 301 wickets, including a historic Test hat-trick against Pakistan. Even though he claimed five wickets in his most recent ODI match, he was cut from the team for reasons that only the selectors and management knew.

“Yes, I did ask him. Mahi bhai’s claim that Irfan wasn’t bowling well was made public during the 2008 Australia series. I wanted to ask Mahi bhai about my bowling performance because I felt that I had done well during the series. I also wanted to clarify because sometimes the statements are misrepresented in the media. Mahi bhai responded, “No, Irfan, nothing like this is happening; everything is proceeding according to plan.” When you receive a response like this, you think it’s alright and take action. Additionally, Pathan stated in a 2020 interview with SportsTak that “you harm your self-respect if you keep asking for explanations after that.”

Ms dhoni used to select those players who set hukka for him, i denied and i got dropped – Irfan Pathan pic.twitter.com/tlbFPvYZNU

— Popa 🇮🇳 (@rafalekohli) September 1, 2025

Irfan Pathan went on to say that he was not the type of player who would make off-field gestures to win someone over, and he never thought it was appropriate to engage in such behavior as lighting a hookah in a teammate’s room in an attempt to curry favor.

“I don’t usually talk about this or set up a hookah in someone’s room. Everyone is aware. Sometimes it’s better to keep quiet about it. “I used to concentrate on performing on the field, which is a cricket player’s job,” Irfan Pathan continued.