Former India cricketer-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri has opined on the recent spat between Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) Virat Kohli and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Naveen Ul Haq and mentor Gautam Gambhir and said that the guilty parties need to be given a stern warning.
The heated war of words between Kohli and Naveen-Ul-Haq during the 17th over of the match between LSG and RCB caught fans’ attention before they clashed again while shaking hands after RCB’s 18-run win.
Kohli then had an ugly face-off with Gambhir, and the duo had to be separated by other players.
Former Indian coach Shastri feels that the IPL governing council should nip the matter in the bud to ensure such a fracas doesn’t happen on live television again.
“I think here someone from the governing council or the BCCI should take the initiative where all parties involved are called up front. And whatever has been said or whatever the history, get in there and nip it in the bud and with a stern warning.
Such kind of actions on live television will not be tolerated, especially after a game. No big fuss about it. Whoever, the concerned people are. Whether it is Gautam Gambhir, whether it is Virat Kohli, whether it is Naveen-ul-Haq, whether it is somebody else. Chaar ka chaar ko lao saamne," Shastri said on ESPNCricinfo.
He said that the BCCI and concerned authorities must clear everything with the guilty parties and tell them that they had crossed the line and that such things won’t be tolerated in the future.
“Right in front of the person from the management or from the BCCI or the governing council and have a direct conversation. ‘Yes, we understand in the heat of the moment things do happen. But there’s a line. And I’m afraid you guys crossed the line. So whatever, you guys have to say sort it now, because it won’t be tolerated in the future," he added.
The BCCI has already fined the trio and they accepted the consequences without any appeal.
