Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has once again stirred the ongoing controversy surrounding legendary captain MS Dhoni and the so-called ‘hookah’ culture in the Indian dressing room. This comes after earlier shocking claims made by former all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who had also spoken about the issue. Tiwary, revealing his version of events, claimed that certain players from the Indian team, particularly those who maintained close ties with Dhoni, would often join him during hookah sessions. The former batter explained that he had personally observed these activities at close quarters, further hinting that some teammates indulged in “buttering” to get into the captain’s good books.

“We’ve seen from close quarters as well. There were sessions where hookah was taken and there were some players who were the close ones. There were some players, at that time, who were very smart to ensure some buttering was done to just get a little bit of help from the captain,” Tiwary revealed in an interaction with InsideSport.

In an earlier interview with Sports Tak, Pathan had made a pointed comment about the subject. “He isn’t someone who sets up hookah in someone’s (Dhoni’s) room to please him,” Pathan had remarked, indirectly taking a subtle dig at his former captain.

Only Inner Circle People Allowed In Hookah Sessions

The Bengal stalwart clarified that the captain’s room was open to everyone, but only those in Dhoni’s inner circle knew about the hookah sessions and would usually be present there. “It wasn’t compulsory for anyone to be there. Only the players who knew that the room was open for hookah went there,” Tiwary stated.

He further added, “Players who were smart enough or were in close quarters with the captain at that point of time were the ones who knew that the room was open for everyone.”

His Legacy

Tiwary, who represented India in 12 ODIs and three T20Is under Dhoni’s captaincy, emphasized how proximity to the skipper played a role in who got invited into those informal gatherings. His statements follow up on the remarks of Irfan Pathan, who had, almost five years ago, made similar revelations about hookah culture within the national team setup.He has been a pivotal man behind KKR’s IPL victory in 2012 and 2014.

Tiwary’s latest revelations have given new life to the conversation, shining more light on behind-the-scenes dynamics of Dhoni’s captaincy era, where bonding, personal equations, and the now-controversial hookah sessions appear to have played a role in the team environment