8 Instances When MS Dhoni Came Up with Savage Replies In Press-Conferences

F0rmer Indian captain MS Dhoni might not have played any competetive cricket for the past 10 months or so but the World Cup-winning leader continues to be in the news for a variety of reasons. Dhoni is an enigma. He is as cool as it gets on a cricket field and he also possesses a brilliant sense of humour.

Press conferences can be really boring! But, not when the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni are on the other side of the microphone. Dhoni, during his ten-year-stint as Indian captain gave fans a plethora of moments where he just owned the journalists courtesy his witty sarcasm and sense of humour.

Here’s a look at 8 instances when MS Dhoni came up with savage replies in a press-conferences

8. 2009 ICC World T20, England

Leading into the 2009 T20 World Cup, speculations in the media were rife of a possible rift between MS Dhoni and swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag.

Sehwag was injured leading into the tournament and when a reporter asked Dhoni of the absence of the former from the training session, the former Indian captain’s reply: “maybe you should ask his physio to issue a press release” propelled the media back home to cook up stories of a possible rift.

But what happened next was completely unprecedented. On the eve of India’s opening game against Bangladesh, Dhoni, in a bid to show unity in the side paraded the entire Indian squad in the press conference room where he read out a statement assuring Indian fans back home that the news of rift between him and Sehwag was a byproduct of ‘irresponsible reporting’.

Needless to say, Dhoni didn’t entertain any questions of the journalists.

 7. On the birth of his newly born daughter Ziva

MS Dhoni was leading the team in Australia when he and Sakshi were blessed with daughter Ziva on February 06, 2015.

When the then Indian captain was asked by a reporter whether he missed being in India at the time of Ziva’s birth, Dhoni won over the media and virtually everyone with his answer.

“Not really. As of now, I am on national duties so I think everything else can wait. The World Cup is a very important campaign.” 

6. On Transition from Test veterans to youngsters during the 2012 Australian tour

The 2011-12 Indian tour of Australia was undoubtedly one of the lowest moments of MS Dhoni’s career as a captain. India, after having been walloped 0-4 in the Test series in England was handed a similar treatment by the Aussies.

Coming into the tri-nation ODI series a lot of youngsters joined the Indian set-up and when a reporter asked MS about he felt about the transition from Test veterans to youngsters for the 50-over rubber, this is what Dhoni had to say-

“From Kishore Kumar, we have gone to Sean Paul.”

Also Read: 5 Best Memories Of The Captain MS Dhoni

 5. “You cannot fly a helicopter under the ocean”

Prior to the 2016 Asia Cup T20 in Bangladesh, India was hosting Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I rubber. After having lost the first match in Pune, the Men in Blue came back strongly to notch up a 69-run-win in Dhoni’s hometown, Ranchi.

Following the victory, MS Dhoni was asked in the press conference as to why he doesn’t play the helicopter shot as often as he did in the past. Dhoni’s reply left everyone in splits.

“See you cannot fly a helicopter under the ocean or in a submarine. In the same way, you play the helicopter shot to a certain delivery. I can’t hit it off a bouncer. Maybe if I stand on a stool and go for it. With the current opposition strategy, it’s very hard to play that shot,” Dhoni was quoted as saying by Mykhel.

4. On a possible rift between Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli during the 2014 Australian tour

During the 2nd Test between India and Australia at the Gabba, opener Shikhar Dhawan injured his hand during a practice session just moments ahead of the all-important day 4, due to which Virat Kohli was summoned to bat alongside Cheteshwar Pujara on very short notice.

Kohli was dismissed for an 11-ball 1. India eventually lost the Test match on the same day and when MS Dhoni said in the post-match interview that Dhawan’s injury caused an ‘unrest’ in the dressing room as they could give only 5-10 minutes notice to Virat Kohli to go out and bat.

Following Dhoni’s statement, the media went into overdrive and all sorts of reports on a possible altercation between Kohli and Dhawan were published. MS Dhoni was asked the same question in the pre-match presser ahead of the Boxing Day Test where the former captain’s sarcastic reply left everyone in splits.

“Actually that was the case. Virat used a knife. He stabbed Shikhar, who just recovered out of that then we pushed him to bat. These are all stories. Marvel, maybe Warner Bros or somebody should pick up this and make a nice a movie out of it,” Dhoni said, as reported by cricket.com.au.

3. On Australian weather

Another gem of a reply from Mahendra Singh Dhoni came during the 2011-12 Australian tour.

Dhoni was alluding to a pre-series advertisement on TV when he said: “I was sitting at home and watching television. More often than not, you watch some really strong advertisements in the lead-up to an India-Australia series. The advertisement said: ‘It is winter out here, and summer out here, so get ready to feel the heat Down Under.’ I took it very seriously. I didn’t pack a single jacket, only to realize it is pretty cold here.” 

Also Read: Five Things That We Do Not See In Cricket These Days

2. On why he didn’t use Harbhajan Singh in Qualifier-1 of the 2018 IPL

The 2018 edition of the IPL was an emotional homecoming for the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings. After serving a two-year ban, the ‘Whistle Podu’ claimed their third IPL title when they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the finals.

CSK made their way into the finals by beating the same opponent in the 1st qualifier but what left everyone surprised was the fact that Dhoni didn’t opt for the services of Harbhajan Singh despite him being one of the leading bowlers of the side that season.

Dhoni was asked by the reporter: “how hard it was not to use bhajji”

To which, MSD used the analogy of his bikes and cars to explain his thought process.

“I have quite a few cars and bikes in my garage, I don’t use all of them always,”

What goes into @msdhoni mind before he chooses a particular bowler? The @ChennaiIPL captain offers a very interesting analogy?. #VIVOIPL #Final #CSKvSRH pic.twitter.com/XEIEDdBEtH

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 26, 2018

1. When he summoned an Australian reporter

Following India’s heartbreaking defeat to West Indies in the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-finals, Dhoni was asked by a Cricket Australia reporter Sam Ferris whether he was contemplating retirement from international cricket.

What happened next was something Sam Ferris or anyone for that matter, would have imagined in their wildest of dreams.

Here’s the verbatim of what followed next.-

Dhoni: Come here, let’s have some fun. Come here.

(Ferris obliges and goes on to sit alongside Dhoni)

Dhoni – You want me to retire?

Ferris – No, I was just asking you

Dhoni – I was hoping it was an Indian guy, but you know I can’t really ask your brother or son who can play for India as a wicket-keeper.

Ferris – Sure. Sure.

Dhoni – Do you think I’m unfit?

Ferris – No!

Dhoni – Looking at me running?

Ferris – Very fast!

Dhoni – You think I can survive till the 2019 World Cup?

Ferris- Ummmm!. Sure! Yes!

Dhoni – Then you’ve answered the question 🙂

You fired the wrong ammunition at the wrong time!!