'Everybody was referring to him as Mahi Bhai or Mahi Sir. I got a bit confused...': Veteran batter on reunion with Dhoni

MS Dhoni was last seen in action during the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dhoni quit the captaincy job two days before the tournament began in March. But Ravindra Jadeja's exit from the role saw him return as skipper of the franchise.

MS Dhoni has been synonymous with Chennai Super Kings and his glittering Indian Premier League (IPL) spell also encapsulates the journey of the four-time champions. The former India skipper captained the side right from its inception in the year 2008, and led it to nine IPL finals – the most by any captain in the tournament history.

MS Dhoni  (IPL)

Dhoni lay hands on elusive IPL title with CSK in 2010 when they defeated Mumbai Indians in the final. Twelve years later, the T20 franchise has four titles, two Champions League T20 trophies and 11 top-four IPL finishes, making it the most successful outfit alongside Mumbai. An absolute crowd puller and a fan-favourite in Chennai, Dhoni may have ended his international career, but his aura still prevails among Indian fans.

Veteran India batter Robin Uthappa, who won the inaugural World T20 under Dhoni, reunited with his former skipper in 2021 when he was traded to CSK from Rajasthan Royals. During Uthappa's initial days with the Chennai-based franchise, he noticed how everyone called Dhoni either 'Mahi Bhai' or 'Mahi Sir', which had him asking Dhoni what should he call him.

“When I was selected for CSK, I was playing with Mahi after 13-14 years. When I went to the team, everybody was referring to him as Mahi Bhai or Mahi Sir. I got a bit confused. One day, I went to him and asked whether I should call him Mahi or Mahi Bhai. He told me not to complicate things and call me whatever I want to. He told me that he was the same person and that nothing had changed. I was the only person in the team who was calling him Mahi,” Uthappa said in ShareChat’s Audio Chatroom session – 'CricChat Powered by Parimatch’.

Dhoni was last seen in action during the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dhoni quit the captaincy job two days before the tournament began in March. But Ravindra Jadeja's exit from the role saw him return as skipper of the franchise.

“Our relationship is like that. It’s not just related to cricket. We have played cricket together, but we share a lot of love off the field as well. When Trinity was born, I sent her pic to Mahi and he said, “she looks like you." Ours is a relationship that goes beyond cricket. Today also, we sit together and chill, like we used to 13-14 years ago,” he added.

Talking about his initial struggles in cricket, Uthappa also revealed that he contemplated switching to hockey. He went on to represent India in 46 ODIs and 13 Twenty20s, and also was a part of the Indian squad which won the World T20 in 2007.

"My father was an internationally renowned hockey umpire who also represented Karnataka. Once, when I went for the U16 sub-junior selection, I realized the path is going to be very smooth because everyone loved my father. In fact, during the selection day, there were very talented people who had come there, however, they did not get selected.

"I felt really bad that day that these players were not selected even though they were better than me. I used to play as a full-back and I was selected as a stand-by, but I felt that these players were so talented, however, they did not get selected. That's when I realised my journey will be easy," recalled the batter.