They may be bitter political rivals, but Vilasrao Deshmukh will be contesting from Sharad Pawar's panel for the upcoming elections of the powerful Mumbai Cricket Association.

While Pawar will contest for the president's post, Deshmukh is a candidate for vice-president.

All this is happening even as Desmukh is the most vocal advocate of the Congress parting ways with the NCP.

These elections are scheduled for July 1. But Vilasrao is still defensive and on the backfoot.

"I need support from all groups. I don't belong to any group. I need support from Shard Pawar also. Don't mix politics with cricket," he said.

Deshmukh and Pawar have never seen eye to eye. But now the Maratha stalwarts appear to have made up perhaps after Pawar publicly suggested that the Bandra-Worli Sea Link should be named after Rajiv Gandhi.

Pawar's gesture could possibly cement the cracks in the alliance and of course win Deshmukh a cricketing career.