New Delhi: It was possibly the most keenly awaited toss of the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL) with arch-foes Virat Kohli and Steve Smith finally coming face-to-face for the first time since the conclusion of that toxic India-Australia series.
But there was something else playing at the toss, reducing the the captains' rivalry to the back burner. And it was none other than Ravi Shastri, the presenter par excellence.
The former Indian captain laid siege of the moment when the opportunity came to broker a peace-deal between the game's two most gifted batsmen. At the mandatory toss, he introduced the two captains as 'buddies', and the reactions from the two protagonists were worth a freeze frame.
WATCH how the event unfolded HERE
By the way, Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper won the toss, and invited the visiting Rising Pune Supergiant to bat first at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
Yes, there was a fleeting hand-shake to start the match.
