Fans and friends of city boy Mahendra Singh Dhoni have supported his decision to take a break from cricket for two months to train for the Territorial Army.

The former India captain, who holds an honorary post of Lieutenant Colonel in the Parachute regiment of the Territorial Army, had made the commitment before the ICC World Cup 2019. Dhoni, who has been slammed by a section of the media for slow batting rate, has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he would be unavailable for the West Indies tour next month.

Jai Kumar Sinha, the former sports director of Ranchi University who shares a marked proximity with the India keeper, welcomed the decision. “Dhoni doesn’t take any decision for personal gains. He plays for the country and we should not question his wisdom on cricket. He must have good reasons for taking a break. Knowing him closely for years, I know he would play only if he is fit. He is on the ground regularly. He visited JSCA in Ranchi on Saturday and played tennis,” said Sinha.

Cricketer Ansuman Raj, who is senior to Dhoni and had played a number of innings with him, said media runs speculative stories about his possible retirement. “The media shouldn’t speculate because Dhoni has not spoken to the media about his future plans. Dhoni is mature and a man of integrity. He is known for his professionalism. While he plans to continue on the ground some people are giving him unsolicited advice on retirement. Even Lata Mangeshkar urged him to continue. Dhoni should be given freedom to decide,” said Raj.

He said the right-handed batsman is fit like no other.

“Dhoni was part of the Territorial Army training in the past too. In fact army training makes one physically and mentally strong. We should not forget that Dhoni is committed to the country and cricket and he takes decisions in the larger interest of the nation. West Indies is a relatively weaker side, so India could win the series. Dhoni’s focus is the T20 World Cup in 2020,” said Raj.

Dhoni had a disappointing outing in the just-concluded World Cup in which he scored 273 runs in nine matches at an average of 45.5, including two fifties but his strike rate remained the talking point throughout the tournament.

Homemaker Sabita Mishra, an avid Dhoni fan, too, supported his decision, saying his performance has taken a beating because of incessant play.

“Cricket may be a passion for him but passion needs a break too, otherwise it becomes monotonous and adversely affects performance. The same has happened with him. Dhoni is a player and an Army man. We should welcome his decision,” she said.

Sports journalist Neeraj Kumar Jha, however, said Dhoni has taken a calculated decision to stay away from the West Indies tour. “Doubt lurked over his selection after his unsatisfactory performance in the WC. Dhoni’s fate now depends on the performance of his replacement,” said Jha.