Virat Kohli would not go into detail about MS Dhoni‘s omission from India‘s squad to play the West Indies in three T20 internationals.
The India captain insisted selectors had already dealt with the reasoning behind Dhoni not being in the squad, having finished the ODI series with a highest score of 23 across five matches.
21-year-old Rishabh Pant has emerged as a destructive striker of the ball over the past year and his inclusion at the expense of Dhoni allows him to develop his talents in the shortest format of the game.
Unwilling to be drawn on the subject at a press conference, Kohli said: “I think the selectors have already addressed this if I’m not wrong. And he’s been spoken to firstly, so, I don’t see any reason why I should be sitting here and explaining that. I think the selectors have come out and explained exactly what happened.
“I think people are putting too much variables into the situation, which is not the case I can assure you of that. He’s still a very integral part of this team and he just feels that in the T20 format, someone like Rishabh can get more chances.”
India legend Sachin Tendulkar had commented on the surprise exclusion of Dhoni earlier this week, as the team builds on its preparations for the first T20 in Kolkata on Sunday.
“I don’t know what the mindset of the selectors is and I haven’t looked to influence anyone by giving opinions as what happens in dressing room and between captain, coach and selectors should stay within them.”
