When 5-star hotel’s ‘outside biryani not allowed’ rule angered MS Dhoni and CSK changed hotel overnight

Even the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has earned a reputation as one of the calmest cricketers in the world, can lose his cool. Especially when it comes to homecooked biryani. No, this is not a copywriter’s pitch for an advertisement featuring a restaurant or an instant food delivery app. This apparently happened in 2014 when the Chennai Super Kings were in Hyderabad for a Champions League T20 game against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

If news reports from back then are to be believed, Dhoni was so miffed at a hotel’s “no outside food allowed” policy that the Chennai Super Kings team moved out of the ITC Grand Kakatiya hotel to the Taj Krishna. The former India captain’s anger rose from the fact that Ambati Rayudu had sent homecooked biryani for the CSK players. Reports suggested that the hotel had initially prohibited players from carrying the biryani to their rooms. Other reports said that the hotel had allowed players to take the biryani to their rooms, but had asked the players to refrain from consuming it in the common premises.

READ MORE: When Shane Warne made Ravindra Jadeja get off team bus and walk to hotel after training session

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Some reports in the media from back then even said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India and CSK had as many as 180 rooms booked at the hotel.

Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings were handed a three-wicket defeat by Kolkata Knight Riders in the Champions League T20 game the next day after the incident. But at least the players enjoyed a stomach-full of homemade biryani.

CSK are one of the most successful IPL franchises having won five IPL titles. This puts them right on top of the IPL charts with the Mumbai Indians who also have five trophies.