Symmo, Bhajji in the same eleven!

BANGALORE - They are known to be mischief mongers of cricketing world, they were the principal actors in the unseemly show ‘monkeygate.’ They can’t stand each other, or so it was made out to be. Now, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has brought Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds and India’s off-spinner Harbhajan Singh together to share the Mumbai Indians dressing room.

It is going to be the biggest eye-catcher of IPL-4 when not-so-best ‘mates’ ‘Symmo’ and ‘Bhajji’ walk arm-in-arm in Mumbai Indians’ colours.

Team owner Nita Ambani put things in perspective when asked about the two sharing the dressing room with a sporting one-liner.

“The game is the greatest unifier.”

Harbhajan was one of the four players retained by Mumbai Indians. Led by Nita Ambani, Mumbai Indians won a three-way contest with Super Kings and Deccan Chargers to grab Symonds, who has retired from international cricket, for $850,000.

Symonds and Harbhajan have been involved in some vicious on-field spats after the Australian accused the Indian off-spinner of racially abusing him, calling him ‘monkey ‘ in the controversial Sydney Test in 2007-08.

The scandal almost saw India calling off midway the tour to Australia before sanity was restored.

All-rounder Symonds had his problems with alcohol and was even sent for rehabilitation. But he found international cricket too taxing and called it quits. He, however, played for Deccan Chargers in all the previous three editions.

Harbhajan is well known to tickle the fiesty Australians. But he has his share of mischief even in the IPL. He was banned after slapping Shantakumaran Sreesanth in IPL’s first season.