MS Dhoni's India career looks over after selectors 'move on'
"Our clear thought process is that post-World Cup we are focusing on Rishabh Pant only. I made it very clear that we are moving on"
Friday 25 October 2019 11:38, UK
MS Dhoni's international career looks to be over after India's chief selector said the side are "moving on" from the veteran wicketkeeper.
Dhoni - who has played 538 games for India across all formats - was left out of the T20 squad to face Bangladesh at home next month.
MSK Prasad said of the decision to omit the 38-year-old: "This is our clear thought process that post-World Cup we are focusing on Rishabh Pant only. I made it very clear that we are moving on.
"We are giving opportunities to youngsters and see that they establish themselves in the side.
"With Rishabh doing so well and even Sanju Samson coming into the side [as back-up wicketkeeper], I am sure you must be understanding [of] our thought process."
Prasad said Dhoni - who captained India to the World T20 title in 2007, the 50-over World Cup in 2011, and Champions Trophy crown in 2013 - "endorses our view of backing youngsters".
Dhoni has not played for India since the defeat to New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final in July - a game in which he scored 50 - having missed the tour of the West Indies later in the summer in order to link up with his army regiment.
Dhoni has scored 10,773 runs in 350 ODIs for India, with 10 hundreds and 73 half-centuries.
The right-hander also hit 4,876 runs in 90 Tests, including six centuries and 33 fifties, between 2005 and 2014.
Rohit Sharma will captain India for the three-match T20 series against Bangladesh with Virat Kohli rested - Kohli will return to skipper his side in the two-Test series that follows as India hunt a record-extending 12th successive home win in the longest format.
T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur
Test squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant
