What led to Gambhir vs Kohli in IPL? Naveen-ul-Haq gives details of their altercation

Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq has once again spoken about the altercation involving himself, Virat Kohli, and Gautam Gambhir during last season’s IPL. The incident occurred during Lucknow Super Giants’ clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where tensions flared and Gambhir had to step in.

Where the episode began as a clash between Kohli and Naveen eventually escalated to involve Gambhir, with the two former India teammates coming face to face. Naveen, who had previously discussed the incident, gave more details about the series of events that led to the spat.

It all began during the first of the two matches between RCB and LSG, where Lucknow emerged victorious in a last-ball thriller at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

“We played our away match in Bengaluru, where the incident started. We won the game in a very close encounter, and one of our players, Avesh Khan, in excitement, threw his helmet after scoring the winning runs. This gesture did not sit well with Virat Kohli,” Naveen said in a podcast with Zalmi TV.

He then added that when LSG visited Bangalore for the reverse encounter, he was on the receiving end of a lot of sledging. The entire thing was initiated by Kohli and Mohammed Siraj.

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After Lucknow’s win, an animated Gambhir gestured to silence the crowd. This action reignited the longstanding rivalry between Gambhir and Kohli - who had already locked horns in 2011.

Speaking about Gambhir’s gesture, Naveen said, “Gautam Gambhir got carried away [with the shush gesture] because in the previous game, when we needed 1 off 1, one of their bowlers wanted to run the non-striker out while running in to bowl. It was the last wicket. It got heated because the bowler missed taking the bails off. Because of that, he wanted to silence the crowd. He is a passionate guy, and so is Virat.”

Both players decided to bury the hatchet after four months, when India took on Afghanistan in a World Cup match in Delhi. It marked Naveen’s return to the international stage after his successful rehabilitation in the UK for a knee injury. During the drinks break, Kohli and Naveen set aside their differences, sharing a handshake and a hug.