MS Dhoni, Jharkhand Team Evacuated After Fire At Delhi Hotel

The members of the Bengal team were also safely evacuated.

Indian cricketer MS Dhoni at Birsa Munda International Airport in Ranchi. (Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his Jharkhand team were evacuated from the WelcomHotel in Delhi's Dwarka area, after a fire broke out at the hotel early on 17 March.

Police said that around 540 guests were staying at the hotel, including members of the Bengal cricket team, and that all of them were evacuated to safety.

The Delhi Fire Services said that no casualties were reported in the blaze. A senior official from Delhi Fire Services told PTI:

A call was received around 6:30 am about a fire breaking out at Welcome Hotel. Thirty fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire was doused by 9:45 am. 

Dhoni and his teammates were having breakfast at the team hotel, ITC Welcome, when they were evacuated.

"Yes, it was scary as a fire broke out early in the morning. We were evacuated and brought to the ground," Jharkhand coach Rajeev Kumar said.

The Jharkhand team, led by Dhoni, won the quarter-final against Vidarbha on Wednesday and were slated to play West Bengal in the Vijay Hazare trophy semis on 17 March.

The match was postponed by a day owing to the damage to the kits of the players. Both teams were at the ground but since the Jharkhand players were also mentally disturbed, the BCCI had to give them a day's time to get into a proper frame of mind.

Besides being Jharkhand's unofficial mentor in the Ranji Trophy, Dhoni has been an active member of the Vijay Hazare squad. His participation in the tournament has been attracting sizeable crowds wherever Jharkhand.