Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni Saturday made himself “unavailable” for the tour of West Indies but ruled out immediate retirement a day before the selectors meet in Mumbai to pick the squads for the upcoming away series.
Amid mounting speculation around his internationalretirement after India’s semi-final exit from the recent World Cup, Dhoni hastold the BCCI that he will take a two-month sabbatical from the game to servehis paramilitary regiment.
Dhoni is an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the ParachuteRegiment of the Territorial Army,
“We would like to clarify three things. MS Dhoni is notretiring from cricket right now. He is taking a two month sabbatical to servehis paramilitary regiment which he had committed much earlier. We have nowintimated his decision to skipper Virat Kohli and chairman of selectors MSKPrasad,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on Saturday.
The 38-year-old Dhoni’s refusal to take retirement nowleaves the ball in the court of the selectors, who were expected to drop himfrom the squad for the West Indies. India will play three T20 Internationals,as many ODIs and two Tests in the tour starting August 3.
It is believed that the selection committee chaired by MSKPrasad wants to move forward with an eye on future but they would also like toget a sense of where the Indian captain stands on this issue.
“The selection committee has always been clear on oneissue. They have no right to tell anyone irrespective of their stature as towhen they should call it quits but when it comes to team selection, it remainstheir domain,” a senior BCCI official said.
With Dhoni pulling out of the tour, Rishabh Pant is expectedto be first wicketkeeper in all three formats while Wriddhiman Saha will bePant’s understudy in the Tests.From now, the focus will be more on T20 cricketkeeping the World T20 in mind, which is scheduled to be held in Australia nextyear.