Dhoni fined, Harbhajan makes a comeback: Have things changed in Indian cricket?

Bengaluru, May 21: Have things changed in Indian cricket in the post-Srinivasan era? Three things within 24 hours have indicated at such a transition.

IPL Special; Indian teams for Bangladesh announced; Gavaskar welcomes Harbhajan's return

Dhoni handed a fine in IPL, something unbelievable earlier

The first evidence was seen after the first qualifier of the Indian Premier League 2015 (IPL 8). After Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lost to Mumbai Indians (MI) by 25 runs, CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was fined 10 per cent of his match fees for expressing dissent over the dismissal of Dwayne Smith at the prize-distribution ceremony.

This was something unbelievable during the days of Srinivasan at the helm of the BCCI. Srinivasan, the former president of the BCCI, was also the owner of the CSK and all these factors made Dhoni perceived to be his blue-eyed boy who could never be touched.

Return of Harbhajan Singh to Indian team after Dhoni retired

The second incident that corroborated the fact that things have changed in Indian cricket is the return of Harbhajan Singh to the Indian Test squad.

The Turbanator, the third most successful bowler for India in Test cricket, had last played for India in 2013 and was eclipsed by the rise of Ravichandran Ashwin, also from Tamil Nadu and a member of the CSK. Now, with Dhoni having quit from Test cricket and Srinivasan not at the helm anymore, Singh's return to the team looked a normal consequence.

Sandeep Patil explaining things before the media

The third and the final example is the freedom of speech of chief selector Sandeep Patil. Patil is known for his silence before the media, even during the days as director of the National Cricket Academy.

But on Wednesday, Patil was seen explaining before the media why two off-spinners were picked for the Bangladesh tour and that Yuvraj Singh's name was not even considered in the selection meeting. This was again something unbelievable during the days of Srinivasan.

Oneindia News