The Caribbean Premier League side Barbados Royals recently took to their social media handles and shared a funny video as a joke, pointing at the peculiar relationship between Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq and Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli. This video humorously alludes to the rivalry that was built up between the two during IPL 2023 when RCB faced off against LSG in a heated encounter.
For the followers of IPL, the tension between Naveen and Kohli was crystal clear, but their relationship did take an unexpected turn in the 2023 ODI World Cup. During India vs Afghanistan in Delhi, the two cricketers buried the hatchet and shared a heartwarming hug that the cricketing world loved.
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But then, the Barbados Royals could not resist poking a bit of fun with it ahead of the season in CPL 2024. The video shows Naveen, who is set to represent Rovman Powell-led Barbados Royals in the upcoming season, fiddling with his phone. He comes across reels of popular YouTuber IShowSpeed going gaga over Kohli.
Chuckling with a hint of irritation, Naveen locks his phone and looks gloomy. As he walks away, a paper cutting with the name “Ben Stokes” flashes before his eyes. As it happens, the name of England’s Test captain somewhat resembles a popular Indian expletive which Kohli uses rather liberally on the field.
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Shaking his head, Naveen walks into his hotel room and asks the receptionist the channel number with which to watch the CPL. The response? “Channel No. 18”, a sly nod to Kohli, who famously wears the No. 18 jersey. Irritated, Naveen quips, “Bas karo yaar, ab kuch to naya dhoondo”.
Sorry Naveen 😰😂 pic.twitter.com/3nvth9Xpzu
— Barbados Royals (@BarbadosRoyals) August 28, 2024
The competition gets underway on August 30, when Antigua and Barbuda Falcons face St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, with the Royals set to play their opening game against the Falcons on September 1. Defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors will be hoping to cling on to their title, which they won after defeating Trinbago Knight Riders in last season’s final.
