Indias star off-spinner Harbhajan Singh,who came for a short visit to his residence in Jalandhar,was struck in the curfew that erupted after the murder of a religious Sikh guru in Vienna,Austria and had to fly to Chandigarh by a helicopter for his further journey to Mumbai.
8220;I came to visit my family on May 23 and as I have to attend an urgent meeting with Nita Ambani,owner of the Mumbai Indians team tomorrow on Thursday at Mumbai,Reliance company arranged a helicopter for me and I flew to Chandigarh to take my further flight to Mumbai,8221; said Harbhajan.
Harbhajan boarded the helicopter from PAP Ground at about 7.30 AM,where a special helipad was made by the District Administration,sources said.
8220;Even my brother-in-law was struck in the violence on May 23 and had to spend the whole night in a nearby hospital along with his family,8221; the off-spinner added.
Terming the Vienna incident as 8220;very unfortunate8221;,Harbhajan appealed to the residents of Punjab to restore peace and harmony.
8220;It is time for all Punjabis to show patience and be united for restoring peace in the state,8221; he said.
Harbhajan said on Wednesday he would fly to England with the Indian team to participate in the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup,scheduled to begin on June 5.
Asked about India8217;s prospects of defending the title in the biennial event,Harbhajan said,8221;In the recently concluded Indian Premier League IPL,Indian players performed very well and the team selected for T20 World Cup is excellent and will be a serious challenge to any side of the world. I hope Indian team will repeat its performance and become the T20 World Champion again,8221; he said.