Mahendra Singh Dhoni fights over biryani with hotel staff

It has been revealed that on Monday night, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, following a heated argument with management at the city’s ITC Kakatiya hotel, packed up and vacated the hotel within minutes later moving into Taj Krishna.

And, the reason behind the row? ITC Kakatiya’s refusal to permit the entry of “home-cooked biryani” sent by local lad Ambati Rayudu to the CSK team.

According to sources, a furious Dhoni and wife Sakshi left in a huff that night and loyal teammates (surprised by the sudden developments), followed their skipper into the other hotel, next day.

The captain also called up CSK boss N. Srinivasan, and convinced him to cut off all CSK’s future deals with ITC Kakatiya.

But the whole ‘home food’ angle is now under doubt, with many saying there’s no way a domestic kitchen could’ve churned out such a volume. Many claim it was food from another city hotel.

“It seemed to have been a food order placed by Dhoni’s wife, who kept calling the reception prior to the argument,” a source said, adding, “Usually, the hotel allows small packets of food from outside but this was almost five big cartons, for over a dozen people at least. And after the hotel denied the parcels’ entry, a raging Dhoni rushed down with his wife, adamant we let the delivery pass. But when the supervisor too objected, saying it was against hotel rules and that he couldn’t let parcels pass without security checks, Dhoni took it up one level and said he would sit outside the gates and have the food. That’s when the hotel allowed them to have the food. But Dhoni checked out of the hotel the same night.”

There was an argument in the upper floors too.

“We heard much screaming and none of us expected them to walk out like that. We have had teams coming and staying with us for so long now,” another source said.

Representatives from the Taj Group confirmed the last-minute, rushed booking, without even a security recce. “Yes, CSK team members were staying us and left the city soon after their match in the city.”

Incidentally, Rayudu was away playing a match in Raipur and it remains unclear who from the cricketer’s household was responsible for the food’s delivery at the hotel.

“It’s possible a restaurant delivered that quantity. A home kitchen cannot churn out so much, well-packed food,” a source formerly attached to the IPL said.

So, why would a man, known as Captain Cool, lose his wickets over biryani, even if it’s Hyderabadi? “It’s very unlikely of Dhoni to kick up such a row over a food delivery. Perhaps, there was another trigger... and we don’t know it yet,” said a family member of a CSK player.