'Open-door hospitality & hookah hangouts': Ex-CSK star reveals MS Dhoni's unique bonding culture

Former CSK star Mike Hussey revealed MS Dhoni's room served as an unofficial team lounge, fostering off-field bonding through open hospitality and shisha sessions. This culture, also highlighted by George Bailey, created a strong sense of belonging within the franchise. Hussey also noted Dhoni's unusual lack of wicketkeeping practice, contrasting with his extensive batting sessions.
MS Dhoni (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)
NEW DELHI: MS Dhoni's impact at Chennai Super Kings has long been hailed for its calmness, loyalty and unmatched leadership — but former CSK star Mike Hussey has now lifted the curtain on a lesser-known side of the franchise: the off-field bonding culture built around Dhoni's open-door hospitality.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! In a fascinating revelation on The Overlap Cricket podcast, Hussey said Dhoni's room effectively became CSK's unofficial team lounge during every IPL season. Players drifted in and out at all hours, discussing cricket, bantering, sharing meals — and for some, unwinding with shisha.
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“Dhoni is just the most amazing guy. His room is available open 24 hours a day. 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 flavoured tobacco stuff. That is their way of socialising. Credit to Dhoni, he opens his room up — lots of players go up, they bring food up, it is fantastic,” Hussey said, offering a glimpse into the camaraderie that defined CSK's IPL dynasty. The anecdote echoes former CSK batter George Bailey's earlier revelation that Dhoni often hosted relaxed hookah sessions to help younger players settle into the team. Bailey had said Dhoni's informal approach broke down hierarchy and helped create a sense of belonging — a trademark CSK value over the years. Hussey also shared a surprising detail about Dhoni's preparation habits: despite being one of the game's greatest wicketkeepers, he almost never practised the skill in training. “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 practise his keeping ever. But he bats a long, long time — he hits thousands and thousands of balls,” Hussey revealed. With Dhoni set to return for IPL 2026 after being retained by the five-time champions, stories like these underline why CSK players past and present continue to call the franchise a “family” — one built on trust, comfort and a legend whose door was literally always open.
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