A day after cricket enthusiasts we left shocked as MS Dhoni was not included in the squad for the T20I series against South Africa, chairman of the selection committee, MSK Prasad, clarified that Dhoni had made himself unavailable for the upcoming three-match T20I series against South Africa.
“Yes he was unavailable for selection,” Prasad was quoted by India Today on being asked about Dhoni’s availability.
In the 15-man squad announced for the T20I series against South Africa starting on September 15, Rishabh Pant will handle the thing behind the stumps. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya has returned into team in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
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Dhoni, who had taken a two-month sabbatical from the sport, is currently in the United States after serving the Territorial Army for 15 days.
“This selection committee is clear on one front. They will never ask any questions to Dhoni with regards to retirement as that’s not their domain. But till they are in charge, they reserve the right to select the squad and as far as they are concerned, Rishabh Pant is now India’s first-choice keeper across formats,” a senior BCCI official was quoted by newswire PTI.