MS Dhoni extends his unavailability till November; set to skip Vijay Hazare Trophy, Bangladesh T20Is

Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has extended his break from competitive cricket by two months, thus ruling himself out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the three-match T20I series against the visiting Bangladesh.

File image of MS Dhoni. AFP

According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, Dhoni's two-month downtime was supposed to end in mid-September, but the 38-year-old decided to stretch it. Vijay Hazare Trophy, the domestic 50-over competition, begins on 24 September, while India begin the T20I series against Bangladesh on 3 November in New Delhi.

Dhoni went to serve the Army after India's semi-final exit at the 50-over World Cup and skipped the tour to West Indies and the ongoing T20I series against South Africa.

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The decision means that Dhoni, who has already retired from Test cricket, can be seen in the competitive arena in December when West Indies visit India, or when Australia tour the country next year.

Dhoni's move comes in the backdrop of intense speculations about his future in Indian cricket, more so with the Indian team management throwing their weight behind the young Rishabh Pant with next year's World T20 in sight.