Here’s why Dhoni turned up for a press conference with the entire Indian team in 2009

Team India secured a victory in the inaugural edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007 and stamped their authority in the shortest format of the game. Two years later in 2009, the defending champions were the favorites to win the news edition of the T20 World Cup but the Men in Blue failed to repeat that magical show.

However, the poor performance of the players in the 2009 T20 World Cup was overshadowed by the massive controversy that erupted in the Indian cricket fraternity. The news regarding the bad blood between India skipper MS Dhoni and aggressive opener Virender Sehwag spread like a fire in the world of cricket.

What added fuel to the rumors was the miffed reply by Dhoni when he was questioned regarding the injury sustained by Sehwag. While appearing for a press conference during the 2009 T20 World Cup, when Dhoni was asked about Sehwag’s injury, he said, “Whatever is related to the fitness, you will get from the BCCI.” When probed further, the skipper replied: “I am not saying anything on that”, even while admitting he was aware of the injury status.

The answer also accelerated the rumor regarding the feud between the opening batsman and the skipper. However, Indian team management finally decided to put a rest to all the speculations as they released an official statement to clarify the matter. As India was gearing up for a match against Bangladesh, something bizarre happened during the press conference.

Team India released an official statement

Not just the skipper but the entire Indian ream entered the press conference. As Dhoni read out the statement, the entire Indian contingent along with Sehwag stood around the skipper to show their unity. The official statement read, “To the people of India and Indian cricket fans worldwide,” insisting that the team spirit had been “as good as it has ever been.”

“Recent reports in the Indian media of a rift between myself and Sehwag amounts to nothing but false and irresponsible media reporting. Our fans and supporters can take confidence from the wonderful unity that continues to exist in the team,” it added.

The team members did not field any questions and walked off soon after. Though India successfully dodged the questions regarding the bad blood between MSD and Sehwag, many still believe that the opening batsman and the skipper weren’t on good terms.