IPL 2023: Experts Weigh in on Heated Spat Between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir

On Monday, May 1, during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Indian cricket legends Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir got into a heated exchange. 

The altercation occurred after the match and was reportedly triggered by an incident involving LSG player Naveen-ul-Haq. Although the reason for their spat is still unknown, experts unanimously agreed that both players should have avoided losing their composure.

The Kohli-Gambhir clash

During the RCB-LSG match, Afghan player Naveen-ul-Haq got into some exchanges with Virat Kohli when he came to bat. Although these exchanges were minimal, it seems that the Gambhir-Kohli altercation was the aftermath of that incident. After the match, Kohli and Gautam Gambhir were seen having a heated exchange, with both players appearing animated regarding the issue.

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Experts weigh in

Regarding the spat between Kohli and Gambhir, experts believe that both players should have maintained their composure. IPL expert Harbhajan Singh believes that the celebration after taking wickets and shouting was alright, but things got out of hand after that. He added that what happened in Bangalore may have played a part in the incident.

Former India coach Ravi Shastri, on the other hand, believes that the incident was started by LSG player Naveen-ul-Haq, but he condemned the spat between Gambhir and Kohli. He stated that only Amit Mishra could explain what exactly happened.

JioCinema expert Robin Uthappa was also vocal against Virat Kohli, stating that he is not a fan of Kohli’s celebration. He added that such behavior is unexpected from someone who is not a 21-year-old.

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Previous Big Clashes Between Gambhir and Kohli

The Gambhir and Kohli rivalry began during a match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2013. Both players were captains of their respective sides, and when Kohli was dismissed, Gambhir reportedly said something to him that angered Kohli. This led to a heated exchange between the two, which was diffused by their Delhi teammate Rajat Bhatia, who was playing for KKR at the time.

In 2016, during an IPL match between KKR and RCB, the rivalry between Gambhir and Kohli took another turn. Gambhir threw the ball at the non-striker’s end, where Kohli was standing, even though he had no chance of getting him out. This led to an altercation between the two players and the match officials after the game.

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