BCCI levied 100% match fees fines on both Kohli and Gambhir.
Since Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) IPL 2023 match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Stadium more than a week ago, much of the conversation has focused on the ugly incident that took place there when LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir got into an altercation with RCB star Virat Kohli shortly after the game ended.
BCCI docked a strict fine with both Kohli and Gambhir handing their entire match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct, social media remain abuzz over the incident with fresh developments.
Things had started on May 1 when Kohli and LSG player Naveen-ul-Haq got into an altercation. Kohli’s words had left the latter furious leading the umpire and fellow LSG player Amit Mishra to intervene. The two even shared an intense handshake after RCB's 18-run win when Glenn Maxwell had to step in and separate the two.
Later, tensions at the Ekana Stadium grew, when Kohli and Gambhir got into an ugly altercation that called for the other players to intervene and keep them apart. The BCCI then levied heavy fines on each of the three for violating the IPL Code of Conduct.
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According to a Dainik Jagran article on Monday, the entire LSG team management was "shocked" by what had happened in Lucknow, as they had witnessed Gambhir and assistant coach Vijay Dahiya speak with Kohli for 45 minutes when the Lucknow players arrived in Bengaluru for their away match against RCB on April 10.
A source close to the newspaper informed that it was a rather healthy conversation between the three and hence LSG members were left in disbelief at what happened three weeks later in Lucknow.
The report added that enraged by the words of Kohli, Gambhir too had put forward a plea to the BCCI saying, "I want to give him a send-off. I want to drive him away from here."
The article mentions that Kohli also complained about Naveen Ul Haq to the LSG management citing his aggressive attitude and also told the BCCI official that it was never his fault.
Gambhir, on the other hand, said, "If someone abuses my players, no matter which country my player is from, I will support him."
Speaking on Naveen, the source later added, "He does not speak even in the dressing room. He has to be asked to speak. Now the captain of some other team will teach us how to celebrate our player after taking a wicket. If there is anything wrong with that, the match referee will see."