Mumbai Indians teammates Harbhajan Singh and Ambati Rayudu involved in unseemly incident

Controversy has always been fodder for the popularity of the IPL, and the most sensational sort of controversy was seen during Sunday’s IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants – a difference of views between two teammates.

As RPS batted first and raced to a quick start, the pressure in the MI camp was starting to tell, and it resulted in an ugly confrontation between two of their senior players, Harbhajan Singh and Ambati Rayudu.

The unseemly incident happened in the 11th over, which was the second over being bowled by Harbhajan. RPS had raced to 96/2, but had new batsman Peter Handscomb at the crease. The dangerous Steven Smith had just been dismissed and this was MI’s chance to claw back into the game.

The fourth delivery of the 11th over was pushed through outside Saurabh Tiwary’s off stump. The batsman responded by clubbing the ball between deep midwicket and long-on. Tim Southee ran in from long-on and Ambati Rayudu ran in from cow corner. Both fielders and the ball reached the boundary ropes at almost the exact same time, leading to a confusion.

One confusion, one difference of opinion

Rayudu was the more enthusiastic of the two fielders and dived in to stop the four. Unfortunately, it seemed as if Rayudu tried to scoop the ball up so that Southee could throw it back quickly, but Southee was not aware of his teammate's intentions. The ball bobbed up after touching Rayudu’s hands, and went for a four. Southee gave a pat on the prostrate Rayudu’s back, but the bowler was of a less generous view.

Harbhajan, who had not conceded a single boundary in his spell till then, was livid. He gestured with his hands to Rayudu, and emitted a loud yell, evidently in uncharitable language. It looked as if he was disgusted with what Rayudu had done with his hands.

Harbhajan seemed to calm down the very next moment, however, as he realised that he had probably gone too far and that he had the responsibility of being the more senior player. Rayudu charged down from the boundary ropes to have a talk with Harbhajan, clearly of the view that the reaction had been unwarranted.

As the two players reached each other, Harbhajan tried to console Rayudu and tried patting him on the back and trying to calm him down. Rayudu was having none of it, however, and shrugged off the reconciliatory gesture. Harbhajan walked a few paces with his arms around Rayudu’s shoulder, but the batsman was still not impressed. He extricated himself from the grasp and told Harbhajan to go back to his job.

Harbhajan mouths off Rayudu; Rayudu snubs Harbhajan's reconciliatory gesture

There was a reconciliation soon after, as the two Mumbai Indians teammates came together the very next over to celebrate Handscomb’s wicket.