IPL 2023: BCCI punishes Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, and Naveen-ul-Haq for an ugly fight
Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli have a long history of intense rivalry on-fields despite both sharing the same dressing room for India. From 2013 to yesterday’s match, their history is red-hot. Twitter users have now reacted to yesterday’s incident as the battle is now all over the media.
Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli, two highly accomplished Indian cricketers, have had multiple confrontations on the field throughout their careers. Their most notable clash occurred in 2013 during an IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). As captains of their respective teams, Kohli and Gambhir engaged in a heated argument following a fielding incident. The altercation escalated to the point where they exchanged words and physical contact before being restrained by their teammates. The latest incident from this rivalry happened just yesterday during RCB vs LSG match at Ekana Stadium, Lucknow.
What happened during the RCB vs LSG match?
Tensions escalated on the field following LSG's victory over RCB on Monday night. This incident followed a previous altercation where Gambhir silenced the crowd at M Chinnaswamy Stadium during LSG's narrow win against RCB. During the post-match handshake, Kohli's conversation with LSG's Kyle Mayers seemed to further infuriate Gambhir. Meanwhile, LSG bowler Naveen-ul-Haq engaged in a heated exchange with Kohli, with Glenn Maxwell restraining him. In the midst of the chaos, Gambhir appeared visibly agitated and had to be held back multiple times from approaching Kohli. It took the intervention of players, match officials and support staff to de-escalate the situation.
Despite the low-scoring nature of the match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore, Virat Kohli emerged as the centre of attention. After the game, he found himself involved in his second altercation of the day, this time with LSG head coach Gautam Gambhir. Following an on-field dispute between Naveen and Kohli, the visibly upset and aggressive Gambhir engaged in intense exchanges during the post-match handshakes.
After the handshakes, Kyle Mayers approached Kohli for a conversation, seemingly discussing the previous altercations in the game. While the conversation appeared harmless, Gambhir intervened and pulled his player away from Kohli, leading to another confrontation between the two Delhi natives. Surrounded by teammates and match officials, they engaged in an animated discussion on the field. Ultimately, it was Amit Mishra, also from Delhi, who intervened and placed himself between the two, preventing the situation from escalating any further.
Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, and Naveen-Ul-Haq fined
Both Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir were penalized with a full 100% match fee fine for their violation of the Code of Conduct. In addition, Afghan cricketer Naveen-ul-Haq has been fined 25% of his match fees.
Gautam Gambhir vs Virat Kohli: A Rivalry to Reckon
The rivalry’s first and foremost incident came in 2013. Kohli, captaining RCB, engaged in a dispute with Gambhir, who was leading KKR, following a fielding incident. The altercation escalated into a heated exchange of words and physical pushing before teammates intervened to separate them. The moment is still widely known as one of the most intense brawls in tournaments.
Another intense on-field moment between the cricket icons occurred during an IPL match in 2016 between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Eden Gardens. KKR's captain at the time, Gautam Gambhir, showed aggressive behaviour throughout the game. Despite posting a competitive total of 183 runs, KKR suffered a 9-wicket loss. In the 19th over, Gambhir, in a fit of anger, threw the ball towards the non-striker's end where Virat Kohli, RCB's captain, was positioned after completing a run. This incident resulted in a confrontation between Gambhir and the officials, while Kohli was awarded the Player of the Match title for his unbeaten 75 off 51 balls.
In the latest development of the ongoing saga, a heated argument ensued between Kohli and Gambhir after a tense clash between their respective teams. Both players were fined for violating the IPL Code of Conduct.
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