Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor Gautam Gambhir and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter Virat Kohli were involved in a heated exchange during the recently held IPL season.
It all happened after Kohli engaged in an ugly spat with Naveen-ul-Haq during the LSG versus RCB clash on May 1 in Lucknow.
After the game, Gambhir was seen approaching Kohli aggressively with his players and the two had an animated chat. Before the matter could have gone out of hand, both of them were separated by the players and support staff members.
The altercation created quite a stir in the cricket fraternity and it continues to draw attention even days after the conclusion of IPL 2023.
In an exclusive interview with News18 India, Gautam Gambhir opened up about the incident.
“I have had fights on the cricket field before too but I have always kept that fight or argument limited to the cricket field only. There was an argument between two individuals, that should stay on the field and not cross the boundary. A lot of people said a lot of things for TRP, and many called for interviews. Anything that happens between two people does not need to be clarified. It happened on the cricket field and not off the field. If it had happened somewhere else, off the field, then you can call it a fight. In the heat of the moment, two individuals who want to win for their team and have the right to win," Gambhir stated.
The former India opener further said that he stood up for Naveen in this instance as the LSG pacer had done nothing wrong.
“I will say only this, that I will endorse what I did for the person who was right in that instance. If I feel that Naveen-ul-Haq did nothing wrong, then it is my duty to stand with him. And I will do that till my last breath, even it is for Naveen-ul-Haq or anyone. If I feel you are right, I will stand with you. This is what I have been taught and will continue to do. This is how I have been living my life. A lot of people said a lot of things, that I am supporting Naveen-ul-haq and not our own player. It was not that this player is ours and that player is not. If my team’s player is wrong, I would not have sided with him," he explained.
Things did look ugly in the middle and all three involved were reprimanded by the match referee. While Kohli and Gambhir were fined 100% of their match fees, Naveen copped 50% penalty for breaching the IPL code of conduct.
