'Phone Toh Uthaaya Na?': Manoj Tiwary's Veiled Dig At MS Dhoni Viral After Reports Surface Of BCCI Offering Mentorship Role Ahead Of T20 World Cup 2026; Video

Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary seemingly took a veiled dig at reports of MS Dhoni being offered mentorship of the national team ahead of T20 World Cup 2026. When asked by the reporter about the prospect of Dhoni becoming the mentor, he asked, 'Woh phone uthaaya na?'

Dhoni is arguably considered one of the shrewdest captains India has ever had. The 44-year-old has also been hugely successful for the national team, especially in the limited-overs arena and is the only skipper in history till date to win all white-ball trophies.

When asked by a reporter about what can Dhoni bring if appointed as a mentor for the Indian team, the 39-year-old remarked that youngsters respect him a lot and it would help them massively. At the same time, he said the duo of Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir would be interesting to watch.

"Dekhiye yeh toh samay hee bataayega Woh phone uthaaya na? Jahan tak mujhe pata hai phone mein milna bahut mushkil hai unko aur message ka reply bhi bahut kam milta hai. Kyunki bahut saare players apne samay mein kahan bhi hai. Abhi woh message padhenge ki nahin padhenge. Hote hain toh samay hee bataayega. Mentorship unko agar diya jaata hai. Woh accept karenge ki nahin, sabse pehli baat woh hai, aur agar karenge bhi toh mere liye bolna mushkil hai woh kya impact laayenge. Unka anubhav bataur kaptaan aur khiladi kaam mein aayega. Kyunki abhi jo naye khilaadi hain jo sitaare bane hue hain, kahin ka kahin unko samman karte hain, izzat dete hain. Unki baat sunenge aur sabse badi baat MS Dhoni aur Gautam Gambhir ki jo jodi banegi woh bhi dekhne waali ho jaayegi."

(Did he answer the call? Because it is difficult to reach him on the phone... The first thing is whether he will accept the role or not... His experience as a captain and player will be very useful, as the new players emerging today and becoming stars of the Indian team give him a lot of respect. The pairing of MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir will also be worth watching.)

"He did not like me, maybe" - Manoj Tiwary on MS Dhoni

During a recent interview with Crictracker, Tiwary, who played 15 international matches for India, accused Dhoni of favouritism. He said:

"Everybody likes MS and obviously, he has proven over a period of time with his leadership, which I always say that his leadership qualities were very good. But somehow, in my case, I don't know. He's the only one who can answer your question. But I think there were a couple of individuals whom he really liked and gave full backing at that point in time. A lot of people know, but not everyone comes forward and speaks about it. So there is a very strong liking and disliking that happens in cricket everywhere. So I consider myself not liking one. He did not like me, maybe."

Although the legendary keeper-batter retired from international cricket, he continues to play in the IPL.