Dhoni makes himself unavailable for Windies tour, to serve his regiment

Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Saturday made himself "unavailable" for the Indian team's tour of West Indies as speculations raged about his future. An Honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Parachute Regiment of the Territorial Army, it is learnt that Dhoni will be spending the better part of the next two months with his regiment.

A top BCCI official confirmed the development. "Dhoni has made himself unavailable for the tour of West Indies as he will be spending two months with his paramilitary regiment," the official told PTI.

Dhoni, 38, has intimated his decision to the BCCI prior to the selection committee meeting on Sunday. With Dhoni pulling out of the tour, Rishabh Pant is expected to be the first wicketkeeper in all three formats while Wriddhiman Saha will be Pant's understudy in the Tests.