Mumbai: "January tak mat poocho (don't ask me till January)," said Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Wednesday as he came up with a cheeky reply to put an end to speculation around his comeback into international cricket.

"January tak mat poocho," said Dhoni at an event in Mumbai before questions on his sabbatical could be asked from him.

India’s ace wicket-keeper has been on a sabbatical since team India’s exit from ODI World Cup in England, this year. The former India captain, who is currently enjoying some time away from the game, missed away tour of West Indies and the series against South Africa and Bangladesh on home soil.

Speaking at the event, Dhoni described two of his favourite cricketing memories.

"I want to talk about two moments. First is when we returned to India after the 2007 T20 World Cup. During our open bus trip, we were at Marine drive and all the sides were jam-packed. It was so nice to see the smile that all the people had on their faces at that time," Dhoni said.

"The second instance is the World Cup 2011 final when 15-20 runs were remaining and the people started chanting 'Vande Matram' in the Wankhede Stadium. So, these two moments are very difficult to replicate and they are very close to my heart," he added.

Earlier, there were reports that Dhoni would return to the field ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.

Meanwhile, head coach Ravi Shastri expressed his thoughts on the future of the former skipper. He said, “Half the guys commenting on can’t even tie their shoelaces. Look at what he’s achieved for the country. Why are people in a hurry to see him off? Maybe, they don’t find enough talking points. He and everybody who knows him know he’ll be going away soon. So, let it happen when it has to.”

“Let me say this: MS Dhoni has earned the right to retire when he wants to. And let this debate end once and for all,” he further added.