The BCCI today rubbished reports that Chairman of selector K Srikkanth and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni were involved in a heated debate over team selection during a meeting in Chennai.

Media reports had claimed that Srikkanth met Dhoni to talk about the playing XI and the two exchanged heated words due to difference of opinion but BCCI said no such meeting took place.

The reports had also said that secretary N Srinivasan was also present at the meeting.

"This is with reference to reports in some newspapers about a ’meeting’ having taken place between the Indian captain and Chairman of Selectors in Chennai yesterday, at which the BCCI Secretary was also present.

"Apparently some ’harsh’ words were exchanged, and the captain ’urged’ to change the playing XI. The BCCI would like to clarify that these reports are baseless. No such meeting took place," Srinivasan said in a release.

Dhoni has been facing criticism for some of his decisions in the ongoing World Cup, the most prominent being his preference for Piyush Chawla in the XI despite a flop show from the leg-spinner.

-Sify

Mahendra Singh Dhoni