Back in April 2013, MS Dhoni kicked off a light-hearted yet unforgettable trend on social media by sharing a string of hilarious tweets referring to his teammate Ravindra Jadeja as “Sir Jadeja.” The title caught fire instantly, spreading like wildfire among fans and fellow cricketers alike. Now, over a decade later, Jadeja has finally opened up about the origin of this nickname and the pivotal role Dhoni played in making it iconic.

In a candid conversation on Ravichandran Ashwin’s podcast, Jadeja revealed how the now-famous title was never something he truly embraced. The chat kicked off with Ashwin recalling a specific moment during the Delhi Test against Australia in 2013 when he cheekily called Jadeja “Sir” while fielding at cover — only to be met with an expletive-laced response.

“You were bowling and I just said, ‘Come on, Sir!’ and you snapped at me. Tell me, who actually started calling you that?” Ravichandran Ashwin asked, chuckling.

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Jadeja was quick to credit (or blame) MS Dhoni. “It was Mahi bhai who started it,” he said, smiling. “He had tweeted a few things jokingly and it went viral. I remember once in Chandigarh, it was raining and I asked him whether we still had to go for practice. He replied, ‘No, we’ll call the ground to you.’ And that’s how it began.”

Sir jadeja doesn’t run to take the catch but the ball finds him and lands on his hand

— Mahendra Singh Dhoni (@msdhoni) April 9, 2013

Ravichandran Ashwin, not letting go of the earlier moment, pressed him further, asking why he reacted so strongly on the field.

Ravindra Jadeja then confessed what really bothered him. “See, if someone calls me Sir, I just feel like they’re pulling my leg. I don’t know why, but it’s stuck in my head that way. It’s like they’re mocking me, even if they’re not,” he admitted with a sheepish grin.

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Though the nickname lives on in memes and stadium chants, Jadeja’s honest revelation gives fans a peek behind the curtain, showing the man behind the meme and the camaraderie shared among Indian cricket’s greats.