Ex- Chennai star opens up about brutal chat with MS Dhoni

Former India keeper MS Dhoni is all set to lead the Chennai franchise again in the upcoming season of the Indian T20 League. Chennai will start their campaign with an opening match with the defending champions Gujarat on March 31st at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad.

Dhoni is considered one of the most successful captains in the history of the tournament, having led Chennai to the title four times (in 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021). He is known for his calm and cool nature on the field no matter what the situation of the match is.

Former Indian batter, Robin Uthappa, who played for the Chennai franchise in 2021 and 2022, has revealed his chat with Dhoni during his time in Chennai. Uthappa said Dhoni is a very open person and doesn’t hesitate to speak the truth.

‘I saw everyone in the squad calling him Mahi bhai’ – Uthappa

“MS is a very open person. He does not hesitate in speaking the truth, even if it hurts you. I remember when I was signed by CSK in the auction, he called me and said, ‘I am not sure if you’ll get a chance to play because the season is still far away and I haven’t given it any thought. If you do end up playing, I will let you know.’ By now, I had enjoyed 13 successful years in the IPL. Still, he told me to my face what he had to do. I still appreciate that a lot,” Uthappa told JioCinema.

“In the first season, I saw everyone in the squad calling him Mahi bhai. I went up to him and asked if I should call him Mahi bhai too. He dismissed it saying, call me what you want, it makes no difference. Please call me Mahi only,” the former Indian keeper further added.

Uthappa played a major for Chennai in winning the title in 2021 after getting a chance to play in the second half of the tournament. He played two important knocks in qualifier 1 against Delhi and in the final against Kolkata. He was bought back by the franchise in 2022 for an amount of INR 2 crore.

This is also considered the last outing of Dhoni in Chennai yellow. However, the batter and the franchise didn’t make any official announcement regarding this.