Dhoni: Fatigue no excuse for India

LONDON: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni refused to blame a packed playing schedule for the defending champions World Twenty20 exit at the hands of England.

Defeat by three runs at Lord's on Sunday meant India, who won the inaugural 2007 World Twenty20 in South Africa, no longer had any chance of reaching the semifinals ahead of their final Super Eights match against South Africa at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.

Leading Indian players such as wicket-keeper/batsman Dhoni have been on a virtual non-stop carousel of cricket for the past two years, their international commitments and the Indian Premier League leaving them with little time for a break.