'The sledging came from two guys' - Naveen-ul Haq provides further details around spat with Virat Kohli during IPL 2023

Afghanistan's pacer Naveen-ul-Haq revisited his fiery exchange with Indian cricket stalwart Virat Kohli during last season's IPL clash between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The match, remembered for its heated moments, saw tempers flare between Kohli and Naveen, which prompted former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir to step in. The incident left a lasting impression on the new- found IPL rivalry.

The confrontation initially between Kohli and Naveen escalated into a showdown between Kohli and Gambhir, former teammates for India, during an IPL clash. Naveen, shedding light on the incident, offered more details about the events that transpired. It all ignited during the first of the two RCB vs LSG encounters at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium, where Lucknow emerged victorious in a nail-biting finish against the squad led by Faf du Plessis.

"We went to play our away match in Bengaluru. That's where it all started. We won that game - it was very close – so one of our players [Avesh Khan] threw the helmet in excitement after scoring the winning runs. Virat Kohli probably didn't like it. Next, their team came to Lucknow. I think I went out to bat at No. 9 or 10 and we had pretty much lost the game by then," Naveen said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

"So, I didn't expect that I would be sledged. But when it happened, like I said, when someone starts, I can't hold back. After the game, things continued during the handshake too. The sledging came from two guys – Kohli and Mohammed Siraj," he added.

Gautam Gambhir got carried away with the shush gesture: Naveen Ul Haq

Following the victory, Gambhir charged onto the field, silencing the roaring crowd with a hushed celebration, before robustly shaking hands with rival players, including Kohli. This dramatic gesture sparked a frenzy across the IPL, reigniting the long-standing rivalry between both the cricketers, known for their knack of stirring controversies. It was reminiscent of a similar incident from 2011, tensions had flared between the then-KKR skipper and RCB's captain after Kohli’s dismissal prompted 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 heated because the bowler missed 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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