Shaun Pollock

Calcutta: “No slaps tonight, Ref… No slaps tonight,” was how the Mumbai Indians’ newest stand-in captain, Shaun Pollock, greeted Srinivas Venkatraghavan on Tuesday evening.

Pollock, who has retired from international cricket, bumped into Venkat (Match Referee for Tuesday’s clash at the Eden) as both were getting ready to leave The Sonar.

Somewhat typically, Venkat just smiled.

Pollock, obviously, was trying to make light of what the Mumbai Indians’ first stand-in captain, Harbhajan Singh, had done in Mohali last Friday.

Harbhajan, who gave a back-handed slap to Sreesanth there, has already been banned for the remainder of the Indian Premier League’s inaugural edition.

That’s not all: The Board of Control for Cricket in India will be handing out its punishment sooner rather than later.

The Mumbai Indians’ regular captain, Sachin Tendulkar, is recovering from a groin injury. The Telegraph learns that he should be fit by the end of the week.