3 Indian Cricketers Who Had Rift With MS Dhoni

Arnav Chopra

MS Dhoni with Gautam Gambhir (Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com)MS Dhoni with Gautam Gambhir (Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com)

Former Indian cricketer MS Dhoni is known to be one of the most astute minds on and off the cricketing field. His calm persona makes him an ideal candidate to lead any side, which is quite evident when we look at his trophy cabinet, which includes all major ICC trophies, and he has not achieved any of that alone.

During his decade-long stint as the captain of the Indian side, Dhoni relied on many star performers who had duly fulfilled their responsibilities in their respective fields. However, sometimes things go south, and miscommunication between the two leads to rifts and arguments that may never end. To many people's surprise, someone like Dhoni, too, has been involved in several conflicts during his playing career.

Therefore, we'll look at MS Dhoni's three most significant rifts over the years, which have resulted in some former players publicly coming out and speaking against him.

3. Yuvraj Singh

Man of the tournament during the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh was the star performer for the Indian side during the memorable tournament, which they won. Yuvraj's contribution to the side was immaculate, and he was also one of the most trusted men of MSD. However, after his retirement, Yuvi, on many occasions, has hinted that he and MS did not had a great relationship because of some differences.

During the Ranveer Allahbadia podcast that was released last year, Yuvraj confirmed that they were friends only because of cricket; otherwise, they would not have been friends for any reason because of their different lifestyles.

Another major factor was Yuvraj's father, Yograj Singh, who publicly humiliated MS Dhoni and spoke ill about the legendary captain on many occasions. Yograj has even said that he would slap MS if he got the opportunity.

Once it was also revealed by an insider that before the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa, which India eventually won, Dhoni was announced as the skipper of the side instead of Yuvraj, who believed that he should have been the captain but was not preferred due to supporting his teammates during the Greg Chappell era.

2. Harbhajan Singh

Second on the list is Indian off-spinning veteran Harbhajan Singh, who is known to be quite open and vocal about his dislikings. With his fresh attack on MS, Bhajji has confirmed that they have not spoken in 10 years because the former has not responded well to him, adding that the former skipper does not attend his calls.

Previously, the Punjab cricketer even accused Dhoni of punching the TV screen after the IPL 2024 league game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), which Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lost and failed to qualify for the playoffs. However, CSK physiotherapist Tommy Simsek dismissed the fake news and called it rubbish.

Also, going back in time, Harbhajan has also expressed his displeasure that many senior players, including him, were removed from the side before the Champions Trophy 2013 without having done much wrong. His statement targeted selectors and the captain of the time, MS Dhoni, as they suddenly chose youngsters over seniors before such a crucial tournament. 

1. Gautam Gambhir

Probably Dhoni's biggest nemesis from his playing days, Gautam Gambhir, has always expressed his resentment toward the former skipper. Dhoni and Gambhir formed a formidable partnership during the 2011 World Cup Finale against Sri Lanka, which helped India easily ace the target.

However, Gambhir, in the past, has consistently pointed out that it was because of MS that he couldn't complete his century in the final because the skipper reminded him about his score and informed him that he only needed three more runs for his milestone. Gambhir further iterated that he couldn't focus and lost his way out in the centre because of this.

Another reason for disliking is that MS Dhoni is often credited with hitting the six that took India to World Cup glory. This has always irked Gambhir, who believes the World Cup was not won by an individual but by the entire team.

One of the most serious characters around the dressing room, the left-hander, who is also the current head coach of the Indian team, had repeatedly condemned the controversial rotational policy brought in by skipper MS Dhoni during the 2012 CB Series in Australia, which ensured a place for Rohit Sharma in the playing XI by rotating among Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar on regular basis, keeping in mind, the 2015 World Cup which was to be held in Australia.

Gambhir termed the policy as 'crap' and believes that it should not have been in place at all. And even if they were reluctant to play with it, then why did they choose to go ahead with all three and benched Rohit in a must-win game against Sri Lanka. According to him, they must have stuck to the original plan.