In a display of their championship pedigree, the five-time winners Mumbai Indians delivered a commanding performance in the Eliminator, securing a resounding 81-run victory against Lucknow Super Giants. Led by captain Rohit Sharma, MI set a formidable target of 182 runs while limiting Lucknow to a mere 101 runs in their chase. The relentless bowling attack of Mumbai thoroughly dismantled the Krunal Pandya-led side, instilling a surge of confidence as they head into Qualifier 2 to face off against the Gujarat Titans.

Following the match, MI pacer Sandeep Warrier took to social media to troll Naveen-Ul-Haq, who had previously made derogatory comments about Virat Kohli. The Afghanistan pacer had repeatedly targeted the former Indian skipper and even shared images of himself enjoying mangoes while Kohli struggled on the field against Mumbai Indians on May 9.

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In a similahttps://cricshots.com/akash-madhwal-steps-up-in-absence-of-bumrah-shines-for-mi-in-eliminator/r vein, Sandeep Warrier posted a photo alongside Vishnu Vinod and Kumar Karthikeya after Lucknow’s elimination from the tournament. The trio posed as the three monkeys of Mahatma Gandhi, with three mangoes placed on the table. Although the cricketer later deleted the post, a screenshot of it went viral on social media platforms, garnering support from Virat Kohli fans who appreciated Sandeep’s response

Virat Kohli fanboys owned Naveen ul haq “Sweet Mangoes” 😭 pic.twitter.com/b8QsSKPbDD

— leisha (@katyxkohli17) May 24, 2023

The rivalry between Naveen and Kohli began on May 1, 2023, when Lucknow Super Giants hosted Royal Challengers Bangalore at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Towards the end of the match, the 34-year-old Kohli engaged in a heated argument with Naveen, which led to umpires intervening to defuse the situation.

However, the tension escalated after the match, with Gautam Gambhir, the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants, also becoming involved. As a result, both Gambhir and Kohli were fined 100% of their match fees, while Naveen was fined 50% of his match fees. Since then, the 23-year-old pacer has taken multiple jabs at Kohli and RCB through various means.

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Despite Lucknow’s recent loss to the Gujarat Titans on May 21, which resulted in their elimination from the competition, Naveen continued to post memes on his Instagram story, attempting to ridicule the franchise on numerous occasions. Nevertheless, Naveen’s off-field antics did not hinder his on-field performance, as he picked up four wickets for Lucknow against MI in the Eliminator. However, Mumbai Indians’ superiority on May 24 rendered his efforts futile.