In the IPL 2023 match between LSG and RCB, Gambhir, Kohli, and Naveen-ul-Haq were at odds both during the game and after. Here’s the full conversation between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir.
The Incident
It was not a pleasant sight to see India’s two World Cup-winning team players, Virat Kohli, and Gautam Gambhir, nearly fight after an IPL 2023 match. It not only took the shine off a low-scoring match in an otherwise record-high-scoring tournament, but it also painted a gloomy picture of the two, one that fans are well aware of. What prompted Kohli and Gambhir’s spat following the Lucknow Super Giants vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore match in Lucknow? Here’s what we know.
The incident appeared to have started with some in-game sledging between Kohli and Lucknow’s Naveen-ul-Haq when the latter came to bat during the chase.
Siraj bowled a bouncer to Naveen in the 17th over of LSG’s innings, and it was called a no-ball. Siraj gave the Afghanistan player a stare before throwing the ball into the stumps at the striker’s end after Naveen failed to capitalize on the free hit. Naveen can be seen conversing with the RCB pacer. Kohli, who was patrolling at mid-off, intervened and began sledging Naveen, who also gave it back to the former India captain.
Things could have gotten out of hand if Amit Mishra, Kohli and Naveen’s senior, hadn’t intervened and separated them. Following the post-match presentation, LSG opener Kyle Mayers can be seen conversing with Virat Kohli. It appeared to be a normal conversation until Gambhir stepped in and took Mayers away.
#ViratKohli and Gambhir Fight from different view. kohli chants in stadium after fight…. pic.twitter.com/WNjaqyj1Ti
— DESI LAFDA (@desilafdaa) May 1, 2023
Something troubled both Gambhir and Kohli, and they got into an on-field brawl. The full conversation between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir was revealed as the IPL fight video goes viral.
The eyewitness
According to an eyewitness to the brawl, it all started when Kyle Mayers asked Virat Kohli why the RCB star was constantly abusing him and his players.
“You saw on TV that Mayers and Virat were walking side by side for a few meters post-match. Mayers asked Kohli why was he constantly abusing them and Virat, in turn, questioned why was he (Mayers) ‘staring’ at him. Before that (Amit) Mishra had complained to the umpire about Virat constantly abusing Naveen (ul-Haq), who is a No. 10 batter,” the eyewitness said to the news agency PTI.
Unfiltered fight#ViratKohli #gautamgambhir #LSGvRCB #RCBvLSG #KLRahul? pic.twitter.com/qiHI9vXo8e
— Indian (@aot09876) May 2, 2023
The eyewitness then reveals the exact words that Kohli and Gambhir exchanged during the heated argument: “Gautam, sensing that things could turn ugly, pulled Mayers and told him not to have a conversation when Virat made a comment. The heated discussion that followed seemed a bit juvenile.”
“Gautam asked ‘Kya bol raha hain bol'(What were you saying?) and Virat replied, ‘Maine aapko kuch bola hi naahin, aap kyon ghus rahein ho’ (Why are you coming in between when I haven’t told you anything).
The Conversation #GauthamGambhir #ViratKohli #ViratGambhirFight pic.twitter.com/kvY9l3qmTW
— Fukkard (@Fukkard) May 3, 2023
“Gautam responded, ‘Tuney agar mere player ko bola hai, matlab tune meri family ko gaali diya hai. (You abused my player and that’s like abusing my family) and Virat’s reply was, ‘Toh aap apne family ko sambhal ke rakhiye’. (Then you take care of your family).
“Gambhir’s final reply before they were separated was, ‘Toh ab tu mujhe sikhayega…’ (So now I have to learn from you…).”
For the unversed, this was not the first time the two Delhi boys clashed in an IPL match. Kohli and Gambhir had an ugly brawl at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium ten years ago. While celebrating his wicket, Gambhir, then the captain of KKR, made a dig at Kohli. Instead of going back to the pavilion, Kohli walked towards the extra short cover and apparently made a remark.
Gambhir was seen angrily walking toward his Delhi and India teammate. However, it was another Delhi lad, Rajat Bhatia, who intervened and separated them, or things could have gotten out of hand.
