[WATCH] ‘Hookah pee ke aa raha hoon’ – MS Dhoni’s candid remark to Rishabh Pant goes viral

A video of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rishabh Pant at a private gathering with a group of friends has gone viral on social media. In the clip, the two cricketers pose for a group photo as music plays in the background. After the photo, Pant calls out to Dhoni, who begins walking toward another room.

The video was circulated on social media around September 2 and 3, 2026. As Dhoni moves away, he is heard saying, ‘Hookah pee ke aa raha hoon’, which translates loosely to letting the group know he is stepping away to have some hookah. Dhoni also returned a ring to Pant at that moment in that video.

Dhoni’s hookah remark and the disputed wording

It is worth noting that the exact wording of Dhoni’s remark is disputed across outlets. While one version reports the line as a declaration that he is going to smoke hookah, another outlet reported the line as ‘Hookah nahin hai,’ meaning there is no hookah.

This is not the first time Dhoni has been linked to a hookah-related video. A separate clip, reportedly filmed during a Dubai New Year gathering that also included Pant, went viral in January 2024. Former Australian captain George Bailey has previously spoken about Dhoni’s welcoming approach toward teammates, with references to his affinity for shisha and hookah forming part of those accounts.

Pant’s Test numbers from the Sri Lanka series

Dhoni and Pant have been seen together on more than one occasion in recent months. Before the Sri Lanka tour, Pant trained in Ranchi and Dhoni was seen dropping him off after a practice session. The two were also seen at Lord’s during India’s third ODI against England.

Dhoni did not play in the 2026 IPL season, having been away from competitive cricket due to a muscle issue. Pant, meanwhile, was in strong form during India’s two-match Test series in Sri Lanka, which India won 1-0. He played both Tests despite carrying a minor injury, scoring 168 runs across three innings at an average of 56. His key contribution came in the second Test at Galle, where he scored 66 runs. He also recorded two half-centuries across the series.

During the Sri Lanka series, Pant became the first Indian player to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket. His overall Test record at the time of the series stood at 3,725 runs from 90 innings, including 8 hundreds and 21 fifties. His highest Test score remains an unbeaten 159 against Australia in Sydney. Pant’s next Test assignment is a series against New Zealand, with India aiming to improve their standing in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.