Murali joins Challengers, Gayle to come today

Bangalore (PTI): Amidst controversy over Sri Lankan players' participation in Chennai matches of the IPL, spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan on Saturday joined Royal Challengers Bangalore's conditioning camp at the National Cricket Academy for the Twenty20 league, starting April 3. The 40-year-old off-spinner, who retired from international cricket in 2011, bowled in tandem with left-arm spinner Murali Karthik in the nets. Muralitharan looked unfazed by the controversy and gave some tips to Tamil Nadu lad Karthik during the net session. Muralitharan did not try anything unusual and concentrated on line and length. He surprised some RCB batsmen with his famous doosara. Muralitharan appeared friendly and jovial, making younger team-mates feel comfortable. Mahendra Singh Dhoni look-alike Saurabh Tiwary also joined the training camp, first loosening his muscles and then going in for fielding and catching drills. Later, he sweat it out with his bat in the nets.A RCB spearhead Zaheer Khan, who took part in some sprinting on Friday, did not attend the session Saturday. Zaheer had sustained a calf injury during Mumbai's Ranji Trophy game against Gujarat last December and was then dropped from the Indian Test squad against England. RCB think-tank has decided to take rest on Sunday and resume the camp on April one, expectedly in the presence of big stars Chris Gayle, A B de Villiers and Tilakratne Dilshan at the nets.