Former Australian cricketer Mike Hussey has opened up about MS Dhoni’s open-door policy and shisha bonding sessions at Chennai Super Kings, offering new insight into how the CSK legend built trust and comfort within the squad. These fresh revelations arrive at a time when Dhoni’s off-field bonding methods have again become a point of debate, especially after recent remarks from Irfan Pathan and Manoj Tiwary.
Hussey explained that Dhoni’s room functioned as a common space where players felt free to gather, relax, and talk cricket.
“Dhoni is just the most amazing guy, his room is available open 24 hours a day. So, anyone can go up there, and just sit. He has got his lounge room, players just sit around, they start talking cricket, some of them like the ‘shisha’, you know the flavored tobacco stuff. So, that is their way of socializing and things like that. Credit to Dhoni, he opens his room up, lots of players go up, they bring food up, it is fantastic,” Hussey said on The Overlap Cricket.
MS Dhoni has carried this informal leadership style throughout his long stint with CSK. Even when he wasn’t captain, his presence remained central to the franchise’s culture. Many players credit him for helping them settle into the team and grow with confidence.
This isn’t the first time such stories have surfaced. George Bailey, another former CSK player, once shared a similar experience.
“He likes smoking a bit of the sheesha or the hookah. So, he quite often would set that up in his room, and it was very much open-door policy. You would go in and quite often find a lot of younger players there. For India or a lot of other cricket teams, it can be hierarchical, but he certainly broke that down,” Bailey said in a 2018 video (via Hindustan Times).
Dhoni’s influence continues as strongly as ever, with CSK retaining him for IPL 2026. The upcoming season will be his 19th straight appearance in the tournament.
Hussey Shares Rare Insight on Dhoni’s Training Habits
Hussey also highlighted an unusual part of Dhoni’s preparation routine, noting that the former India captain hardly trained for wicket-keeping during IPL sessions.
“I’ve been a player at Chennai for 8 years, and now coach for about 8 years. I think the only time I’ve seen him catch a ball was when we wanted to knock in a new pair of gloves. I’ve never seen him practice his keeping ever, but he bats a long long time. He hits thousands and thousands of balls,” Hussey revealed.
Despite this unconventional method, Dhoni remains one of the most reliable keepers in the league. His sharp reflexes and clean glovework once again stood out during the 2025 IPL season, proving his natural ability still holds firm.
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