IPL forces Gayle, Watson to shrug off skeletons

The buzz at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is unmistakable on the eve of Royal Challengers Bangalore's IPL opener, against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The security has been strengthened. Big posters of Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Shane Watson, along with their 'Play Bold' tagline, welcome you. Passers-by take a moment to soak in the arrival of the IPL bandwagon.

Gayle, the World Boss, nay the Universe Boss, has been with the franchise since 2011. He has entertained the Chinnaswamy crowd not just with his sixes, but also with his celebratory jigs. The Gangnam style, the horse dance, even a Cristiano Ronaldo-esque celebration.

De Villiers or Neo from the Matrix, as South Africa team-mate Dale Steyn once referred to him, has also been part of the set-up since 2011. Kohli, the captain, has been with franchise since its inception in 2008. No wonder then that they enjoy fanatical support.

Now, Royal Challengers have added a proven T20 match-winner in Watson to their already star-studded roster by paying INR 9.5 crores for his services. That he is sharing space with the 'Big Three' in the posters and promotions shows how much he is valued. On Tuesday, Watson and Gayle, who have had numerous run-ins in the past, may walk out together to open the batting.

At the Pakistan Super League, the two bumped into each other. Gayle took to Twitter to let the world know what he thought of of his mate. "Who would have thought this would happen? Want to punch him in the belly when taking this, but #RCB need him for the #IPL."

Their rivalry dates back to December 2009. West Indies were chasing 359 for a Test-series-levelling win in Perth. Watson had Gayle caught behind. What happened next? Watson sprinted to the batting crease, got into Gayle's face, clenched his fists, jumped up and down haphazardly and let out a ferocious roar. It was a proper send-off.

Watson was fined 15% of his match fee following the incident. Gayle labelled Watson "soft" and easy to wind up. The two then fired verbal volleys at each other during the semi-final of the 2012 World T20 in Sri Lanka.

At the Big Bash League this season, Watson was critical of his Sydney Thunder team-mate Gayle after his infamous interview with Channel Ten journalist Mel McLaughlin. "I have played against Chris for a long time, since I started really, and that behaviour is fairly expected," Watson said. "People who know Chris Gayle will know those are the sort of things he can do at times, and at an inappropriate time, obviously it gets him into a fair bit of trouble."

The only problem with those remarks were that Watson had to be prepared for a counter punch. "The past cricketer who say I make myself look like a chop, the other who claim I was no good to the youngsters while playing for the Thunder, the next one who said he expect that sort of behavior from Chris - Y'all can kiss my 'Black R*** ' I love Australia and I will be back again even for the ... oi oi," Gayle posted on Instagram.

Ahead of Royal Challengers' opening match, Watson admitted that he and Gayle had buried the hatchet at the PSL.

"It's amazing how the world works and how life works, I suppose," he said. "Chris Gayle and myself have certainly had a few run-ins throughout our international careers. The day I got picked up by RCB in the auction, I saw Chris during the PSL. That was the day we had to bury the hatchet (laughs), knowing that I was going to be playing with him.

"When you're competing on the field, as soon as things change and you're on the same team, everyone puts everything aside and moves forward. I've always had the utmost respect for him as a player. So it's nice to be able to get to know him personally off the field, and you move forward."

The IPL is a strange place where partisan following and loyalty run deep. Friends turn foes. Foes turn friends. Delhi team-mates Kohli and Gautam Gambhir have had a go at each other in a game between Royal Challengers and Kolkata Knight Riders, with another then Delhi player, Rajat Bhatia, intervening to cool things down. Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh, who were at the centre of the 'Monkeygate' controversy, have celebrated together for Mumbai Indians. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who made the complaint about the incident, now coaches Harbhajan in the IPL.

Who is to say then that Watson and Gayle won't do the Champion dance together?