Chat: Bhajji needed to be sent a strong message

Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth are the Indian cricket team's new face of aggression. The duo has been bailed out many times by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It was the BCCI which came to Bhajji's rescue after his showdown with Andrew Symonds during India's tour Down Under.

However, this time, the Turbanator seems to have crossed the Line of Control when he slapped Sreesanth after losing to the Kings XI Punjab during the IPL match on Friday.

CNN-IBN Sports Editor Gaurav Kalra joined IBNLive and CricketNext readers to discuss the issue.

Reproduced below is the full text of the chat.

Hari Krishnanv: Sreesanth is a very smart guy or has been advised by someone who knows how the system works. After the SA series in SA he has hardly done anything of note both in tests and ODI's. But he has somehow positioned himself as the "new aggressive" face of Indian cricket and that I feel is keeping him in and around the team. Isn’t it time he is exposed?

Gaurav Kalra: There is some truth to this I would think...his advisors do need to be in his ear and ask him to temper this...because the fact of the matter is that he still doesn't have a track record he can be proud of...so yes, maybe there is an element of "tamasha" every time he plays the game and he needs to watch out...because people see through it beyond a point...

Yogesh: Dear Gaurav, Cricket & the Movies bind India which is a very diverse country with so many languages etc. Do you think the IPL is creating a wedge in the country? I know we have had the Ranji trophy and other domestic tournaments since a long time, but none of these have received the kind of hype the IPL has.

Gaurav Kalra: Sporting competition doesn’t create wedges. It isn’t like Manchester united football fans react violently every time they see a Chelsea fan or the New York Knicks feel like hitting a La Lakers fan sporting contests are just that play hard on the field of play. Try really hard to win and at the end of it all; shake hands and walk off I don’t think the IPL can be blamed for creating a wedge.

Varadharajan: is it a stunt to promote IPL as they have seen failure of ICL to pull crowds to ground

Gaurav Kalra: That’s too sinister a theory. I don’t think anyone can come up with a complicated plan of that kind that sounds too Bizzare to me!

Shamrez: Dear Gaurav, I am ardent fan of IBN Sports desk, first of all let me wish you keep up the good work.. How do you think this incident is going to affect both their career? Will it as difficult for Harbhajan as it was for Shoaib and will Sreesanth have to bear Kambli's fate for not controlling emotions on the ground?

Gaurav Kalra: We appreciate the kind words...sometimes a crisis is an opportunity...this will give Harbhajan the chance to reflect and introspect...be around people who love him unconditionally like his mother and his sisters...and perhaps emerge from this with the quiet determination to let his cricket make the headlines...we can only hope so because he has a rare gift....anybody who can spin the ball like he can is worth his weight in gold.