When MS Dhoni Denied Eating Food With Team India In Trivandrum

image-llatt3orMS Dhoni batting during 2019 WC (Twitter) 

Chef Suresh Pillai, who once had the opportunity to prepare food for the Indian Cricket Team, recently rolled back years to recall a story around former India captain MS Dhoni. The story revolves around a special request Dhoni made to the chef.

Pillai narrated an incident on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), revealing how Dhoni, who is allergic to sea food, refused to be served something else than what was prepared.

This was before a West Indies versus India ODI match at Thiruvananthapuram. The team was staying at Leela, Kovalam where the chef was working at the time. This was back in October 2018.

"I had the privilege of serving him 5 years back. October 31, 2018. India was playing West Indies in Trivandrum and the team was staying at the Leela, Kovalam, where I was working then. From the moment the team got off the bus, my eyes were searching for one man. He greeted all of us with his trademark, warm smile and made his way to the suite. Like a kid meeting his idol, I was starstruck - I mean, who wouldn’t be?" Pillai wrote on his X account.

The players began placing their order for dinner by 7 pm. “Most of them opted for seafood - the orders went out one by one and by 9:30, most of the team dinner was served”, Pillai added.

Pillai had also prepared a special seafood platter for the entire team. But Dhoni refused to even taste it. The reason behind same was that Dhoni is allergic to seafood. Later in the night at around 10pm, Dhoni asked Pillai to visit him in his room, and asked him what was being served for dinner. Upon knowing that dinner was seafood, Dhoni requested a change in the menu.

“I can’t have seafood, Chef. I am allergic. Can I get some chicken curry and rice? I would also like some spicy rasam since I have a sore throat (‘Poondu Rasam kedakkuma?’)” asked Dhoni, according to the chef.


The chef, subsequently, prepared “Chettinad Chicken, Basmati Rice, Roasted Pappadam, and Rasam with a hearty serving of pepper and garlic.”