MS Dhoni moves Chennai Super Kings team out of hotel for not being allowed home-cooked biryani, N Srinivasan follows

According to a report in a prominent English daily, Indian captain MS Dhoni on Tuesday moved his entire Chennai Super Kings team out of a Hyderabad five-star after the hotel prevented the squad from consuming some home-cooked biryani sent by Dhoni's one-day team-mate Ambati Rayudu. 

Dhoni, whose team played Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing Champions League T20 on Wednesday, was reportedly enraged by Hotel Grand Kakatiya's refusal to let them enjoy the biryani. He made the team management cancel the booking and move the team and support staff to the rival Taj Krishna Hotel. 

What is more shocking is that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials followed Dhoni to Taj Krishna. BCCI chief N Srinivasan too cancelled his booking at Kakatiya for Wednesday. The CSK team, Srinivasan and BCCI officials were all staying in the same hotel. 

Though Rayudu was away in Raipur on Tuesday playing for Mumbai Indians, sources to a prominet daily said it was upon his request the biryani cooked at his Hyderabad home was sent to the hotel. 

It is not uncommon for cricketers to get home cooked food from teammates and fans. The practice is especially popular when teams are on long tours abroad. 

Grand Kakatiya Hotel has strict rules against consumption of outside food in the hotel premises. In this case the management was willing to relent a bit and let the players consume the biryani in their rooms. But Dhoni was adamant on using the board room. The hotel refused this request.

While the Grand Kakatiya staff confirmed to the daily that the Chennai Super Kings abruptly moved out on Tuesday afternoon. But they refused to elaborate why.

The hotel's general manager George Verghese too refused comment on the incident. "We're a five-star deluxe facility and there are five other such hotels in the city. One is free to pick one's place of stay," he said. 

"I am bound by confidentiality agreement with our guests and cannot vouch for your information, although I cannot stop you from writing it." 

A top BCCI official, who did not wish to be identified, also confirmed the abrupt change of hotel, but refused to dwell further, according to the report. 

"We don't know if biryani was the cause of the shift. I'm told Dhoni was not happy with the hotel," he said. 

CSK spokesman Russel Radhakrishnana refused to take any questions on the biryani incident. "If you have information about such incidents you may write so. All I can say is we were not happy with the hotel and we moved out," he said.