cricket

Updated: Oct 28, 2018 08:21 IST

Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was dropped for the first time in his career even as the selectors announced India’s squads for the T20I series against Windies and for the tour of Australia.

“He [Dhoni] is not going to play the six T20Is [West Indies and Australia] because we are looking at the second keeper’s slot. So I think we will retain Rishabh [Pant] and Dinesh Karthik. So they will be getting a chance to keep and bat. It is not the end of Dhoni in T20Is,” chief selector MSK Prasad announced late on Friday evening.

Although, Prasad tried to pump in optimism as far as Dhoni’s career is concerned, there were experts who took to Twitter and said that this could well be the end of the former captain in the shortest format.

The big news is obviously the absence of MS Dhoni from the T20 squad. The next World T20 isn't till 2020 so this is an acknowledgement that someone else will be behind the stumps there. — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) October 26, 2018

Even the Indian T20i team for #AusvInd announced. 17 members. Big NEWS is that Dhoni is NOT in that team too. Might not see Dhoni in India colours for the T20 format again... #AusvInd — Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 26, 2018

A decision which people expected and yet, such is the aura of Dhoni, that his massive fan brigade was left far from impressed.

ALSO READ: MSK Prasad gives reasons behind selecting Rohit Sharma, Murali Vijay, and Parthiv Patel

Dhoni does not feature in any of the T20I squads (against West Indies or Australia) and this has drawn the ire of fans who took to Twitter to vent out their reactions.

You are either sad or elated.

You cannot stay neutral tonight.



Also, however big a #Dhoni fan you are, you knew this was on the cards, right?



The question wasn't "whether". It was "when".



Yes, I am sad. But hey, let us give Pant the support he deserves.#Dhonidropped — Abhishek Mukherjee (@ovshake42) October 26, 2018

#Dhoni All other world teams want to play DHONI cricket but except india pic.twitter.com/xGL03ftqY5 — NagaRjuna Reddy (@NagaRjuna07183) October 27, 2018

My father almost stopped watching cricket after @sachin_rt Retirement

I almost stopped watching test matches

After dropping #Dhoni From t 20 I will stopped watching t 20 now

😢😢😢😢😢#MSDhoni Will bounce back pic.twitter.com/c1W7MqehJ7 — Shubham Agarwal 🇮🇳 (@tigerboyshubham) October 27, 2018

@BCCI #Dhoni #Dhonidropped He is THE Brand of Indian T20 history 😎 dropping him from the squad is the worst move by the selectors..He never played for the runs and records. Will surely miss his glove work..Not sure whether we gonna watch T20s or not... @msdhoni #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/vLiuB10xcc — Manikaraju (@2manikaraju) October 27, 2018

Friends its the time !!

Stop watching T20's now. #Dhonidropped #Dhoni — Ankur Patel (@ankptl87) October 27, 2018

Dhoni was born on 7th day of 7th month. His Jersey number is 7. He won the Khel Ratna Award (highest sporting honour) and ICC World Twenty20 in 2007. He reached his career peak in 2011, and 7 years later, he is probably dropped for the first time. — Rahul Raj (@bhak_sala) October 26, 2018