IND vs AFG: Gautam Gambhir Reacts As Virat Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq end IPL spat

Kohli and Naveen engaged in a warm exchange and shared a multi-million-dollar hug to bury the hatchet.

Oct 12, 2023 - 06:27

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IND vs AFG: Gautam Gambhir Reacts As Virat Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq end IPL spat

Gautam Gambhir, the present mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and a former opening batsman for the India National Cricket Team, commented on the amicable exchange that transpired between Virat Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq during the ICC World Cup 2023.

India hosted Afghanistan in the ninth encounter of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Wednesday, October 11, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. In that match, Virat Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq were in competition with one another.

The Delhi crowd treated Naveen-ul-Haq poorly, as predicted prior to the match, as he was taunted with 'Kohli Kohli' chants. The crowd's mistreatment of Naveen was precipitated by his verbal altercation with the batting legend of India, Virat Kohli.

Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq's rivalry began in 2023, during the Indian Premier League (IPL). A dispute of words ensued between the two individuals during an ISL match involving the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

After the contentious exchange, Naveen also condemned Kohli via his Instagram stories; since then, his performances in India have been inundated with 'Kohli Kohli' chanting.

Gautam Gambhir reacted over Naveen-ul-Haq and Virat Kohli gesture

Ultimately, Kohli and Naveen stifled the rumors during the Delhi match between India and Afghanistan. The two responded to Kohli's request that the Delhi audience refrain from making fun of the young pacer by shaking hands, hugging, and smiling.

In response to the situation while providing Hindi commentary for Star Sports, Gambhir expressed relief that the match between Kohli and Naveen had concluded. Further, he expounded:

“You fight on the field, not off the field. Every player has the right to fight for his team, fight for respect, and fight to win. It doesn’t matter which country you belong to or how good of a player you are. you first fight for his team, fight for respect fight to win, and fight for the dressing room. The good thing was when we saw Virat Kohli and Naveen Ul Haq, in between the overs, that the fight happened and ended.”

“I would also want to tell the crowd and fans that any player in the ground or on social media, shouldn’t be trolled or made fun of in the ground. You are passionate when you represent your team. It was a huge thing for Naveen to play in IPL coming from Afghanistan,” Gambhir continued.