MS Dhoni and his love for sheesha, also known as ‘hookah’ to some, have entered the headlines again. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend remains one of the fittest cricketers, especially considering he’s 44 years old. That’s why many were shocked to learn that Dhoni smokes.
People expect elite athletes like him to be clean. But hookah happens to be one of his indulgences. Back in 2024, a video of him smoking had gone viral. Since then, we’ve heard countless stories about Dhoni and his love for sheesha.
Since then, we’ve heard countless stories about Dhoni and his love for sheesha. Some have even been controversial. An old video of Irfan Pathan went viral last year, in which he claimed Dhoni used to make selections based on sit-downs to smoke with him. Another former Indian cricketer, Manoj Tiwary, had backed what Pathan had said in an exclusive conversation with InsideSport.
Who is MS Dhoni’s hookah partner at CSK?
Another hookah story around Dhoni has come out now. Sam Billings, who played for CSK from 2018 to 2019, has revealed that left-arm fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed, who’s been with CSK since 2025, is the wicketkeeper’s hookah partner and looks after the whole setup. Billings revealed the information on the Stick to Cricket podcast, alongside England greats Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan, and Phil Tufnell.
“Has to be Dhoni (best franchise player). I think just in terms of his captaincy and his aura, it’s fantastic. He’s incredibly calm and genuinely cool. There aren’t many cool people. You don’t meet many cool people these days. But he is. Wow, what a lovely guy, considering how much stardom he has. He’s a superstar. Obviously, a Manchester United fan, like myself. We have watched quite a few games together. Because he can’t leave the hotel or go downstairs to the bar. He leaves his hotel room open, and he has this little sheesha man, whose sole job is to look after the sheesha, Khaleel,” Billings said.
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