Had it not been for a midnight communication from Kalmadi, Pillay would not have played mediator

Hours before former India skipper Dhanraj Pillay played mediator between Hockey India and the striking national players in Pune yesterday, he was sweating it out for employers Air-India in the Guru Tegh Bahadur final in Mumbai. He had no intention of playing peace-maker and was in fact busy giving media interviews criticising the functioning of Hockey India. However, one telephone call changed everything.

Mumbai to Pune: Dhanraj Pillay chills out after helping Air-India win the Guru Tegh Bahadur tournament on Tuesday evening. Hours later he was on his way to Pune at the behest of IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi to play mediator between Hockey India and the striking national players Read More Read Next Story Djokovic stunned by Verdasco at Kooyong Classic› Trending Stories Latest Photos Latest Videos Latest Web Stories ADVERTISEMENT Mid-Day Fast ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT