IPL 2023 gave fans one of the most fiery rivalries, with Virat Kohli, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Gautam Gambhir clashing during RCB vs LSG in May 2023. Heated exchanges, awkward moments, and public drama made it one of the biggest talking points in IPL history.
Earlier in the season, when LSG beat RCB in Bengaluru, Avesh Khan threw his helmet on the ground to celebrate and Gautam Gambhir gestured “silence” towards the crowd. This was aimed at the noisy Bangalore fans, not at Virat Kohli. But the atmosphere had already turned tense between both sides.
When RCB visited Lucknow, Naveen later revealed he thought nobody would sledge because LSG was almost losing. When Naveen came to bat with Amit Mishra, Virat sledged him. Mishra stepped in, telling Virat to calm down, but Kohli replied that Naveen should be told instead.
According to Amit Mishra, Virat Kohli made a hand gesture towards his shoe while sledging Naveen. Though the exact words were unclear, the gesture seemed to suggest that Naveen was “not even equal to the dust of my shoes.” This insult further provoked Naveen, and the fight quickly escalated.
Seeing this, Gautam Gambhir jumped in to defend his player. He later explained in media interactions that he only reacted because the game was already over, and if the matter had ended on the field, there was no need to continue it during the handshake. His stand for Naveen led to a fiery face-off with Kohli, with KL Rahul and teammates separating the two.
The IPL fined Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir 100% of their match fees, while Naveen was fined 50%. The incident dominated news headlines, and each side presented their version—Mishra on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, Naveen on Zalmi TV, and Gambhir to the media, adding more layers to the story.
Months later, during the ODI World Cup 2023 in Delhi, India played Afghanistan. During a drinks break, Kohli and Naveen crossed paths. Kohli said, “Let’s finish it.” Naveen agreed, saying he respected Kohli’s achievements. Both laughed, hugged, and moved on, putting an end to one of IPL’s most heated rivalries.