Former India captain Virat Kohli & Naveen-ul-Haq who is an Afghan bowler were able to patch things up in the ninth game of the ODI World Cup 2023, which was played on October 11 in Delhi. Both cricket players, who had a verbal altercation earlier this year during IPL 2023, put their differences aside and hugged.
The feuding former Indian cricketer and coach of the Lucknow Super Giants, Gautam Gambhir, responded to this gesture made by both cricketers. Naveen, an IPL player for LSG, received backing from Gambhir when he engaged in a verbal altercation with Kohli. Gambhir, though, emphasised that the fight only took place on the pitch and urged the crowd to refrain from making fun of Naveen.
Gambhir on Virat Kohli & Naveen-ul-Haq hug:
According to Gambhir as told by India TV, “On the pitch, not off, is where you battle. Every player has the right to stand up for his or her team, demand respect, and pursue victory. It makes no difference what nation you are from or how talented a player you are. The good news is that we could tell the fight had finished when we spotted Virat Kohli and Naveen Ul Haq during the break between overs.”
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Gambhir added, “I would also like to convey to the crowd and supporters that no player should be trolling or making fun of in person or online. When you stand up for your team, you are passionate. Coming from Afghanistan, Naveen’s participation in the IPL for the first time was quite significant.”
During the post-game presentation, Naveen also mentioned the kind gesture and praised Kohli for being both a terrific cricketer and a decent person. He added that although the battle never took place outside of the arena, it was hyped up to attract more followers on social media.
After the game, an Afghanistan cricketer remarked, “The crowd chanted in support of the home cricket team, and that is exactly what they did. It serves as Kohli’s home field. We shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. He’s a good player. There was nothing outside the ground; it (what happened) always happened in the ground. People achieve success. They require that material for their supporters. He stated that “we are done with that” today, and I concurred. We embraced and shook hands.”
So, this was all about Virat Kohli & Naveen-ul-Haq hug. Also read, Underdog teams with great captains in ICC World Cup history.
