Mahendra Singh Dhoni was unavailable for selection in the series, confirms MSK Prasad.
Dhoni had a taken a two month leave from the BCCI which ends on september 20. As the t20 series starts from 15th of september the selectors have not included him.
MS Dhoni will not feature in the 3-match T20I series vs South Africa. His replacement for the series is Rishabh Pant. He is given a chance despite of his off form in the ongoing West Indies tour.
Former captain MS Dhoni is the big name missing from India’s fifteen-member T20 squad to compete against South Africa next month. Chief selector MSK Prasad confirmed that Dhoni had made himself unavailable for the series.
Prasad also said that BCCI is trying to create a healthy bench strength going into the 2020 T20 World Cup.
The clarification confirms what a member close to the Indian cricket legend had told India Today a day earlier that Dhoni, currently in the USA, would not be making himself available.
But both parties – members in Dhoni camp as well as selectors refuse to dwell on what lies ahead for the great man. If Dhoni wants to have another crack at T20 World Cup and whether he is willing to prove his form and fitness in order to make it.
Other notable omissions from the T20 squad are spin twins – Kuldeep Yadav and Yajuvendra Chahal who were not picked in the T20 squad against West Indies as well.
India will play South Africa in Dharamsala (Sept. 15), Mohali (Sept. 18) and Bengaluru (Sept. 22).
India’s squad for 3 T20Is against South Africa: Virat Kohli(Capt), Rohit Sharma(vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Rahul Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini
Do check out: Virat Kohli equals Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the most successful Test Captain of India
For more information visit our site, TechnoSports. And download our app from the Google Play Store for more real-time updates. To download the app, click here.