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It seems as if the door has closed on another personal rivalry. The feud between Virat Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq, which blew out of proportion during the IPL 2023 earlier this year and one that everyone had their eyes on during the India vs AfghanistanWorld Cup 2023 match, was doused on Wednesday evening as the two players let bygones be bygones and put the infamous chapter behind them.
Kohli and Naveen engaged in a warm exchange and shared a multi-million-dollar hug to bury the hatchet. The incident took place during the 26th over of India’s chase. Rohit Sharma, after scoring a brilliant century – which saw him break a plethora of records – was bowled by Rashid Khan after an exceptional knock of 131, but as he was making his way back to the pavilion, the camera captured Naveen walking up to Kohli and shaking hands with the former India captain. Immediately, a warm smile lit up Kohli’s face, while Naveen looked pleased too, signalling the end of what was a pretty bitter episode between two international players a few months ago.
Watch the video below:
The wonderful moment was summed up perfectly by Ravi Shastri on air, who said: “An interesting development took place when Rohit Sharma was dismissed and Shreyas Iyer was coming out. This is what happened. Naveen-ul-Haq, Virat Kohli shaking hands with each other. And this is good. The crowd love it. You might have your things to say at the heat of the moment, but this is absolutely great to see,” before wrapping up the topic with a cheeky “Whatever happens, Naveen has to go back to the Virat Kohli pavilion” jibe.
From the time this contest got underway, the crowd had its eyes on only one prospect – the sight of Naveen bowling to Kohli. It took a while but the moment finally arrived in the 20th over when out walked Kohli and the ball was handed to Naveen. Naveen bowled 10 deliveries to Kohli for only three singles. This faceoff however, could reach a crescendo as the fire was doused shortly after.
Earlier in the day, the Delhi crowd made life difficult for Naveen, breaking into ‘Kohli, Kohli’ chants everytime the Afghanistan pacer was shown on camera. Naveen received the treatment before the game got underway, when he was training with the rest of his teammates. Later, when Naveen walked out to bat, the noise level of the crowd at the Arun Jaitley Stadium was at its loudest.
What exactly happened between Kohli and Naveen
The Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Lucknow Super Giants match during IPL 2023 took an unexpected turn when an altercation erupted between Kohli and Naveen. The tension began when Kohli and Naveen exchanged heated words while the Afghanistan pacer was at the crease. This conflict spiralled out of control after the game, nearly leading to a physical confrontation between the two players. The situation became so intense that it drew the attention of Gautam Gambhir, who served as the mentor for LSG, making it the most prominent controversy of the IPL season.
Following this incident, a prolonged social media feud unfolded, with Naveen making cryptic references to mangoes, while Kohli shared inspirational and preachy thoughts. Kohli’s involvement in such conflicts was uncharacteristic, especially considering his recent relinquishment of the captaincy for both RCB and the Indian cricket team. Since that eventful evening in Bengaluru, fans have been eagerly anticipating a showdown between these two players, but the long-awaited spat was finally put to rest by a classy act from Kohli and Naveen.
