MS Dhoni is quite the prankster, according to Ravichandran Ashwin and Suresh Raina

What’s the story?

In what was an engaging afternoon at the CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) Awards held at the Cricket Club of India, the Super Kings duo, Ravichandran Ashwin and Suresh Raina, spilled the beans about former Indian captain, MS Dhoni during a pre-award candid chat.

“He (Dhoni) does it (prank) once a year but once he does it, he ensures that he has done it well,” Ashwin said during the event.

In case you didn’t know...

Ashwin was awarded the CEAT International Cricketer of the Year 2017. Introduced in 1995 by greats such as Sunil Gavaskar, Clive Lloyd and Ian Chappell, this is one of the most prestigious awards in the history of the sport.

It was Joe Root who bagged the award the year before (2015-2016).

The heart of the matter

During the discussion, the two cricketers happened to reveal some exciting facts about the team. When asked to name the top pranksters in the dressing room, Raina came up with the usual names – Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and Harbhajan Singh, after which he dropped a bombshell by naming Dhoni on the list.

When everyone expressed their doubts about Dhoni being a prankster, Raina nodded, affirming that the former Indian skipper is most certainly a prankster and Ashwin went a step further, mentioning that Dhoni only plays pranks on the odd occasion, but when he does, he makes sure he does it right.

The duo also made some other revelations, stating that the Pandya brothers, in their attempts to be more flamboyant, take a lot of time grooming themselves. They also unanimously agreed that Ishant Sharma was the messiest of the lot.

What’s next?

With the Champions Trophy just around the corner, preparations are in full swing for Ashwin after a two-month break and with India looking to defend the title, it is essential for him to put his best foot forward.

Also, with the Chennai Super Kings making a comeback in next season’s IPL, fans will be hoping to see Dhoni, Raina, Ashwin and Jadeja unite again after a three-year ban.

Author’s Take

Dhoni being on the list of pranksters isn’t all that surprising. The former Indian skipper knows how to have a good laugh and it’s the combination of deadly seriousness on the field and light-hearted humour off it that have brought him so much success.