"You see Gautam Gambhir speaking about it" - Yograj Singh blasts MS Dhoni again in wake of viral Irfan Pathan video

Former Indian cricketer Yograj Singh slammed legendary captain MS Dhoni once again in the wake of the viral 'Hookah' controversy involving Irfan Pathan. Pathan's old interview (2020), in which he blamed Dhoni for selecting players on favoritism, has dominated the internet over the past couple of days.

Pathan was dropped from the Indian side after the 2012 season, when Dhoni was captain of the side in all three formats. However, the duo combined to help India win the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa, with Pathan being the Player of the Match in the final against Pakistan.

Talking about the Dhoni-Pathan Hookah controversy in a conversation with Inside Sport, Yograj said:

"It is not only about Irfan Pathan. You see Gautam Gambhir speaking about it. Virender Sehwag openly said about it as well. Harbhajan Singh spoke about how he was put out of the team like a fly. You should arrange a jury on why he did what he did. MS Dhoni doesn’t want to answer. One who doesn’t want to answer has a guilty conscience."

Pathan was not part of India's 2011 ODI World Cup-winning campaign and played only three ODIs from 2009 to 2011. Yet, he became a regular in the Indian ODI side in 2012, playing 12 matches, before being dropped for good.

"They have treated people like shit" - Yograj Singh

Yograj Singh further went after MS Dhoni, along with other legendary cricketers, Kapil Dev and Bishan Singh Bedi, questioning their treatment of certain players. Dhoni and Kapil remain the only two Indian captains to win an ODI World Cup, with the former also leading the Men in Blue to the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy title.

"I talk about Bishan Singh Bedi, Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni. I can talk about people whom I have been with. They have treated people like shit. Jo galat hai wo galat hai. Two wrongs cannot make one right. I say this openly, that our cricketers and team were destroyed by our captain," said Yograj (via the aforementioned source).

Dhoni also led India to the top in Tests in the late 2000s and remains the most successful Indian captain across formats with 178 wins in 332 matches. Despite retiring from international cricket in 2019, the 44-year-old continues to play for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL.