(Image Source: Twitter)
[Saba Sports News] Match 43 of IPL 2023 drew significant attention due to a clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Virat Kohli and Lucknow Super Giants’ bowler Naveen-ul-Haq.
This incident, which also involved Gautam Gambhir, became a major talking point. Pakistani opener Imam-ul-Haq recently recounted the episode, mentioning Agha Salman’s Instagram message to Kohli, urging him to calm down. Following this, the BCCI imposed hefty fines on the players for their involvement in the verbal altercation.
Imam-ul-Haq, on the Honest Hour podcast, shared that Agha Salman messaged Kohli, saying, “Kohli bachche easy ho ja. Kya ho gaya?” (Kohli kid, please calm down, what happened?). In response to the incident, Kohli and Gambhir were fined 100% of their match fees for a Level 2 offence, while Naveen-ul-Haq lost 50% of his for a Level 1 offence.
During the ODI World Cup 2023, Kohli and Naveen faced off again. The crowd anticipated their clash during the India-Afghanistan match in New Delhi, with fans chanting for Kohli as Naveen walked to bat. However, in a display of sportsmanship, the two cricketers hugged and put their past issues aside during the match. Naveen later shared that Kohli had suggested ending their feud, and he praised Kohli for his on-field achievements.