Dhoni's use of words are mostly hilarious, whether it's for teammate or opposition.
The battle of bat and ball often turns into a verbal face-off between two opposition players. There have been instances when players lost their cool and ended up getting offensive with words. The term 'sledging' isn't restricted for opposition only, some players have sledged their teammates as well. Sometimes it turned out to be hilarious, while most of the time the tension increased.
India saw some of the most gentle cricketers who avoided targetting the opposition verbally. They believed in not getting lost in words by keeping calm. India's MS Dhoni is among the coolest cricketers of all. But as his teammates have observed, the wicket-keeper batsman does lose his cool, although he makes it very hard to notice.
Dhoni's close buddy, and teammate Suresh Raina had revealed one has to look into the ex-India captain's eyes to know how angry he is. The 38-year-old makes sure he doesn't express it in words. But he is also a human, and there are times when the cricketer let it out.
Like always, the veteran cricketer has a different way of letting his anger out. Dhoni uses his wit to pass his message; letting the other person know what he wants. He has also engaged in sledging while wicket-keeping for India, sometimes with his mates. But mostly, his words behind stump mic are funny.
We have five best moments when Dhoni sledged on the field
1. "Come on guys Let's bring the Eiffel Tower Down"
It was the first Test between India and South Africa in 2006 at The Wanderers Stadium. Dhoni was heard sledging Proteas tailenders Andre Nel and Makhaya Ntini. He had a smile on his face when Nel walked in to take the strike. This is something fans didn't get to watch too often in Dhoni's career.
2. "Girlfriend nahi hai udhar!"
S Sreesanth was at receiving end this time when he wasn't paying attention to fielding. The incident happened during the first Test between India and New Zealand in 2010 at Ahmedabad. Dhoni wanted Sreesanth to change his fielding placement a little, and he said, "Oye Sree udhar girlfriend nahi hai, idhar aa ja thoda”.
3. "Bhootni ke idhar dekh le"
Dhoni was upset after Manish Pandey wasn't looking at him for signals and calls. He lost his cool during India's innings against South Africa in the second T20I back in 2018. In this match, Dhoni scored his second T20I fifty. As soon as he uttered the words, social media turned it into a meme.
4. "You are still my first Test wicket"
Kevin Pietersen wasn't even playing the match when Dhoni sledged him during an IPL game. It was IPL 10 and the wicket-keeper batsman was adjusting field when Manoj Tiwary, who had a mic, came towards him and told about Pietersen's taunt from the commentary box. The ex-English cricketer had called himself a better golfer than Dhoni. The then Rising Pune Supergiant cricketer waited for a second and replied that Pietersen was his wicket Test wicket.
5. "Udhar Taali bajane ke liye nahi rakha hai"
MS Dhoni is known for reading the opposition's mind. He has a very good game awareness and one should think twice before doubting it. During a Test match against New Zealand, Dhoni was heard telling Ravindra Jadeja about the field placement. It appeared as if Jadeja was asking for a fielder and the then captain responded why he has kept a Cheteshwar Pujara on a certain position for Ross Taylor.