The ninth match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 between India and Afghanistan in Delhi on Wednesday (October 11) will be remembered for a lot of reasons.
However, it was the wholesome moment between India’s star batter Virat Kohli and Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq that stole the show.
Kohli and Naveen were involved in an ugly spat during the IPL 2023 season. This was the first time after the incident that the two players were facing each other and Naveen was greeted "Kohli, Kohli" chants when he came out to bat and bowl at the the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
However, cameras captured the duo sharing a handshake and hug after the end of the 26th over of India’s innings, much to the delight of the fans.
The heartwarming moment also left former India opener Gautam Gambhir elated as he lauded both players for their classy act on the field.
“Leave the fight there itself. Every player has the right to fight for his team, fight for respect, and fight to win. It doesn’t matter which country you belong to or how good of a player you are. There have been tussles in the past, but it’s important to leave the matter there itself and just move on,” Gambhir said while speaking to sports presenter Jatin Sapru.
Gambhir also urged the crowd to behave sensibly so that overseas players return with good memories from India.
“Another thing to point out is the crowd’s behavior which should have been a bit more sensible. Nobody knew what actually happened in the field. Only two players from two teams and the management knew what the actual matter was.
“So, I hope they behave better in future. When foreign teams visit India, we should try and be a better host. It’s just that when they go back home, they must return with good memories irrespective of the team he is playing for,” he added.
During the match, a video went viral in which Kohli was seen asking the crowd to stop teasing Naveen.
Gambhir was impressed with Virat’s gesture as he said, “That’s a great gesture. And I hope the crowd continues to see such gestures of Virat in the forthcoming matches. A cricketer makes uncountable sacrifices to play at a certain level, be it for the country or franchise. People in the outside world haven’t experienced what unfolds on the field. So, if you can’t support someone then please don’t criticize as well.”
“You do support your favourite players but at the same time, be a good ambassador to your country,” he concluded.
It is pertinent to mention here that Gautam Gambhir, mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants franchise, was also part of the ugly spat that took place in the IPL 2023 match between LSG and RCB in Lucknow on May 1.
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.
