From correspondents in Jharkhand, India, 06:30 PM IST

A visibly tired Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was accorded a lukewarm welcome when he arrived in his hometown Ranchi Saturday.

'I am feeling tired and I will talk with you later,' he told waiting mediapersons before he was escorted to his home in Mecon Colony amid tight security.

There were hardly 20 to 30 supporters at at the Birsa Munda airport to welcome him. They shouted slogans 'Dhoni Zindabad'.

Dhoni, who leads the Indian one-day international side, has opted out of the upcoming Sri Lanka tour. He is likely to stay here for a week.

Dhoni returned home after a gap of three and half months, during which he played the Indian Premier League (IPL), the triangular series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup in Pakistan.

His teams lost the finals of all three tournaments. Later, he complained that gruelling schedule had left him and his teammates tired.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)