Naveen-ul Haq provides further details about the spat with Virat Kohli during IPL 2023. “Gambhir wanted to silence the crowd,” Naveen explained.
Afghanistan’s pacer Naveen-ul-Haq recalled his heated exchange with Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli during last season’s IPL match between the Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The match, known for its heated moments, saw tempers flare between Kohli and Naveen, prompting former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir to intervene. The incident made a lasting impression on the newly formed IPL rivalry.
The initial confrontation between Kohli and Naveen escalated into a showdown between Kohli and Gambhir, former India teammates, during an IPL match. Naveen shed light on the incident, providing additional details about what happened. It all started with the first of two RCB vs LSG matches at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium, where Lucknow won in a nail-biting finish against the squad led by Faf du Plessis.
“We went to play our away game in Bengaluru. That’s where it all began. We won that game, which was very close, so one of our players [Avesh Khan] threw his helmet in celebration after scoring the winning runs. Virat Kohli probably didn’t like it. The team then traveled to Lucknow. I believe I batted at No. 9 or 10, and we had already lost the game,” Naveen told the Hindustan Times.
“I didn’t expect to be sledge. But, as I previously stated, once someone starts, I can’t stop. Following the game, things continued with the handshake. “The sledging came from two guys: Kohli and Mohammed Siraj,” he explained.
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Gautam Gambhir got carried away with the shush gesture: Naveen Ul Haq
Following the victory, Gambhir charged onto the field, quieting the roaring crowd with a hushed celebration before vigorously shaking hands with rival players, including Kohli. This dramatic gesture spark a frenzy throughout the IPL. Reigniting the long-standing rivalry between the two cricketers, who are known for stirring up controversy. It was reminiscent of a similar incident in 2011, when tensions had risen between the then-KKR captain and the RCB captain following Kohli’s dismissal, resulting in a heated exchange of words.
“Gautam Gambhir got carried away [with the shush gesture] because in the previous game, when we needed 1 off 1, one of their bowlers wanted to run the non-striker out while running into bowl. It was the last wicket. It got heat because the bowler miss taking the bails off. Spirit-wise it wasn’t looking good because it had proven to be such a good game by then. It would have been a shame had it ended in a run out. Because of that, he wanted to silence the crowd. He is a passionate guy, and so is Virat,” Naveen concluded.
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