The IPL 2023 game between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Lucknow on Monday will be remembered for a long time for all the wrong reasons. Tempers flared and Indian cricket greats Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli could be seen talking in an animated manner after the match ended. What prompted the angry reaction is not fully clear, but many social media users pointed that the history between the two IPL franchises a reason behind the aggressive reaction. During their first leg match, which was a closely contested affair in Bengaluru, LSG players and mentor Gambhir could be seen giving aggressive reactions.
In Lucknow, in the return leg of their fixture on Monday, Kohli was quite animated every time a LSG batter was getting dismissed. He even got into a war of words with LSG’s Afghanistan recruit Naveen-ul-Haq in the 17th over. It is not clear from the visuals, who started the altercation and what was exactly said. Match visuals showed that Amit Mishra, the other LSG batter at the crease and one of the umpires, separated Kohli from Naveen, even as the former RCB skipper kept pointing towards his shoe while saying something towards the Afghanistan player.
Virat Kohli showing his show dust to naveen pic.twitter.com/W4kXNmuio5
— (@suprVK) May 2, 2023
Kohli always showed respect towards Afghans like Rashid Khan and Gurbaz who did the same thing too. I can bet , that Naveen for sure would’ve said something which made him do it that shoe gesture which he did last time in front of australian crowd. pic.twitter.com/tcYraAb23f
— Kohlified. (@123perthclassic) May 2, 2023
Naveen ul haq haven’t done any mistake it was kohli who sledged, abused Naveen and even he showed shoe to him pic.twitter.com/QncFiHwmmm
— Viraj Anand (@Mohali_208) May 1, 2023
Naveen ul haq teach us an important lesson no matter who is against you but self respect matters.
Kohli did right with gambhir but showing shoe dust to a player doesn’t make him great and even if people think virat did was attitude and then rip attitude— Yash Jain (@proteasyash) May 2, 2023
While the players were shaking hands after the match, LSG bowler Naveen-ul-Haq and Kohli were seen exchanging words and RCB’s Glenn Mexwell separated them.
This was followed by Gambhir pulling away Mayers from a chat with Kohli.
Just after that, Gambhir was seen charging towards Kohli even as LSG players, including the injured captain KL Rahul, restraining him. But eventually, Kohli and Gambhir were involved in a heated argument with players from both sides surrounding them.
Gambhir looked the more animated of the two and was repeatedly held back from charging towards Kohli by the LSG players and support staff. This was after the two had shaken hands.
Initially, Kohli was seen holding Gambhir’s shoulder, but as the heated exchange continued, veteran spinner Amit Mishra, RCB captain Faf du Plessis and LSG assistant coach Vijay Dahiya — also hailing from Delhi — stepped in to separate the duo.
After the altercation, Kohli was also seen speaking to LSG captain Rahul.
Kohli and Gambhir are former India team-mates and have played together for the Delhi state team but they have had a history of face-offs.
With PTI inputs
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