TATA IPL 2023 might be over weeks ago, but the stories surrounding the event doesn’t stop. One of the biggest flashpoints was the season was the verbal fights between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir. The two former Indian teammates had a verbal showdown at the end of the game between Bangalore and Lucknow on 1st May, 2023.
The story as it happened -
The low scoring game saw Kohli have a go at Naveen Ul Haq and Amit Mishra. The former Indian skipper then had a verbal spat with Gautam Gambhir after Kohli was seen having a word with Kyle Mayers. The two former Indian and Delhi team mates have had a storied past with a past clash taking place in 2013 during the KKR vs RCB game.
Gautam Gambhir breaks his silence –
Post the entire incident, Gambhir who is with the Lucknow Super Giants as a mentor has finally broken his silence. The 41 year old two time world cup winner while speaking to News 18 the LSG mentor was as open as he could be
Gambhir said “I’ve gotten into arguments or fights on the cricket field before, but I’ve never let them spread beyond that area. Two people got into an argument that should have stayed on the field and not crossed the line”
Gambhir slams people and TRP seekers –
One of the biggest things that happened post the fight was the entire incident was discussed on news channels and social media. According to Gambhir, many even asked for interviews. Speaking to News 18, Gambhir further said “For TRP, a lot of people spoke out, and many requested interviews. Any interaction between two people does not require explanation”
“Cant be termed a fight” Gautam Gambhir –
Gautam Gambhir has always known to have a fiery side to him. Even during his illustrious playing days, the former left handed batter was known to have his battles on the field. Most notably against Australia and Pakistan, speaking further on the incident, Gambhir said “Not off the field, but on the cricket field, it took place. The incident could have been classified as a fight if it had taken place off the field. In the heat of the moment, two people who have a right to win and who want to win for their team”
Unwavering support for Naveen Ul Haq –
Finally the LSG mentor also spoke about his support for Naveen Ul Haq the Afghanistan pacer with whom Kohli was having a verbal altercation. Speaking to News 18, Gambhir said “I’ll just say this: I stand by what I did in that circumstance for the person who was right. It is my responsibility to support Naveen-ul-Haq if I believe he did nothing wrong. To the very end, I will continue to do that for Naveen-ul-Haq or anyone else. I’ll support you if I believe you are in the right. I’ve been instructed to do this, and I’ll keep doing it. I’ve been leading my life in this way. Many people claimed that I was backing Naveen-ul-haq rather than our own player. It wasn’t a case of this player being ours and that player not. I would not have sided with the player on my team if he were in error”