Ajinkya Rahane reveals MS Dhoni's strict hotel room rule

Ajinkya Rahane says MS Dhoni kept one clear rule during his captaincy: when his hotel room door was shut, no one came in. Overseas, Dhoni left it open and teammates drifted through for video games and downtime.

Rahane remembers the room often holding 10 to 15 players, sometimes the whole squad. Younger players found a place to step away from the weight of matches. The closed door, though, was understood by everyone as the line they wouldn't cross.

A leg injury has kept Dhoni out of the entire IPL 2026 season so far, and no one knows if he'll play again.