Following Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) 18-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a low-scoring Indian Premier League match on Monday at Ekana Cricket Stadium, tensions between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir erupted.
Kohli, who added 31 runs to the RCB’s 126 runs and showed off his fielding skills with two excellent catches, was overheard arguing with LSG coach Gambhir shortly after the game. It took the intervention of several people, including RCB captain Faf du Plessis and LSG assistant coach Vijay Dahiya, to diffuse the situation.
The disagreement’s origin was still unknown, but Kohli was clearly upset. The RCB player was seen speaking with LSG captain KL Rahul after the fight, possibly giving his version of events.
LSG defeated RCB earlier in the tournament with a spectacular chase at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. On Monday, Kohli responded to Gambhir’s boisterous celebration, which included a shushing gesture towards the audience. After catching Krunal Pandya out, he fervently pleaded with the Lucknow audience to be quiet.
While Kohli and Gambhir have a history of altercations on the pitch dating back to 2013, those incidents have since been forgotten. The two have even been seen laughing together while the Indian national team was in practise.
When discussing the incident on Star Sports, Sreesanth pointed out that when players are known for their fervour and aggression, such confrontations are a natural part of the game. He proposed that Kohli and Naveen may have spoken during the game, causing an outburst during the post-game handshake. He made it clear that such “white-line fever” ought to be contained within the parameters of the contest.
