The lip-smacking prospect of Dhoni taking on Sourav Ganguly in a rare encounter is disappearing fast, as the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) this evening failed to confirm if Dhoni will at all play in Sunday’s match.

Ganguly, who retired from international cricket last year, has confirmed that he will play for the Laxmi Ratan Shukla-led Bengal seniors in a few of the remaining domestic matches this season. And with the Kolkata icon assuring that he will take to the field at Sunday’s opener, Dhoni’s participation would have given the match a whole new dimension.

JSCA secretary Rajesh Verma told The Indian Express today that there’s still no confirmation from Dhoni about Sunday’s match, which is indication enough of how unlikely the Sourav- Dhoni duel is at this stage. “We included Dhoni’s name in the team because he is technically free to play for his state side anytime, and now that he is free, he can play. We have sent across a message to him, asking him for his decision, whether he will play. But we haven’t received any news from him so far. We will wait till tomorrow morning,” Verma said.

In fact, the senior Jharkhand team is already in Kolkata and will drop in at the Eden Gardens tomorrow morning for a pre-match net session.