MS Dhoni To Sachin Tendulkar: Indian Cricketers Who Have Received Death Threats

In frame: Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni (Source: AFP)On Tuesday, former Indian captain and former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, along with his wife Dona Ganguly, faced a series of threatening letters delivered to his office and home.While he previously received a threat in 2017 regarding a local event, Kolkata Police launched an active probe into a fresh sequence of threatening letters targeting him and his family.However, this isn’t a solitary instance when an Indian cricketer’s security has become a nationwide concern. Over the years, several high-profile Indian cricketers have faced security concerns and received death threats due to political tensions, extremist threats, or fan backlash.That being said, in this article, we have made a list of Indian cricketers who have received death threats. 1) Mohammed ShamiIndian fast bowler Mohammed Shami received a death threat via email. His brother, Haseeb Ahmed, filed a formal complaint, prompting the Cyber Crime Police Station in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, to register an FIR under extortion and IT Act provisions.According to the FIR, Haseeb Ahmed, who resides in Sahaspur Ali Nagar of Amroha district, opened Shami’s email account on May 4, 2025, to check for important messages as the cricketer was busy with IPL commitments. When he opened the account, he came across a threat email warning of harm to Shami’s life.The email, allegedly sent from the ID of someone named Rajput Sindhar, contained a death threat and a demand for Rs 1 crore. A person named Prabhakar was also mentioned in the communication.2) MS DhoniOver the years, former Indian captain MS Dhoni and his family have faced serious security threats and online intimidation, prompting major police responses and arrests.Below are a couple of major security incidents and online threats to MS Dhoni and his family:2008 Extortion Threat: A man claiming to be an associate of underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim sent extortion letters demanding 5 million rupees, threatening to blow up Dhoni's Ranchi home. According to the publicly available information, state police then deployed 45 commandos for security and later arrested three individuals connected to the letters.2007 & 2011 Maoist Threats: Security was heightened around Dhoni following reported threats attributed to Maoist (Naxalite) rebels in Jharkhand, leading authorities to upgrade his security cover.3) Rahul DravidYes, you read it right! Even a person like Rahul Dravid, who is known for his humility and selflessness, has been the target of violent threats. In May 2007, police investigated a handwritten letter found in Chhattisgarh that allegedly contained a threat from Maoist rebels against Rahul Dravid and teammate MS Dhoni.The note criticised them for promoting an elite sport while living wealthy lives, though police and rebel spokespersons later questioned or downplayed the authenticity of the threat.4) Gautam GambhirIn April 2025, Indian cricket team head coach and former MP Gautam Gambhir received death threat emails from an ID claiming to be "ISIS Kashmir".On April 22, 2025, Gambhir’s office received two emails, stating “I Kill You”. The timing of the emails was notable, as they had arrived the same day as a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which Gambhir had publicly condemned on social media.A formal complaint was filed at the Rajinder Nagar Police Station, and an FIR was registered.The Delhi Police subsequently arrested a 21-year-old engineering student, Jigneshsinh Parmar, from Gujarat in connection with the threat emails.5) Sachin TendulkarThe ‘God of Cricket’, Sachin Tendulkar, had also been at the helm of this unfortunate security scare during the 2008 India-Australia Test series.The legendary Indian cricketer faced threats to his life from the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) ahead of the fourth and final Test against Australia scheduled from November 6-10, 2008, in Nagpur.In response, security was significantly tightened at the Hotel Pride near Nagpur airport and the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium at Civil Lines. Despite the heightened security, Nagpur Police later clarified that there was no specific threat to any individual player at that time.Also read: Abishek Porel Arrested Under Rape Charges