In the IPL 2023 match between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli were spotted having a verbal spat after the conclusion of the game. So much so, that both Gambhir and Virat have been fined 100% of their match fees. Notably, this is not the first time that both Kohli and Gambhir had a heated exchange on the field in the IPL.
When the Southpaw was playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2013, a similar incident occurred, and ever since the two of them are always charged up while playing against each other. However, the camaraderie between the two cricketers was completely different during Virat’s initial days while playing for India. Gambhir backed him and also gave away his Player of the Match award to Virat Kohli when the latter hit his first international century against Sri Lanka.
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Chasing 316 runs at Eden Gardens, India was in need of a partnership after both Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar got out within the first four overs. That’s when Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli stitched an important 224-run partnership as India won the fourth ODI against Sri Lanka by seven wickets. Notably, Gambhir remained not out on 150 while Kohli smashed 107 runs off 114 deliveries.
In the post-match presentation, Gautam Gambhir refused to take the Player of the Match award and instead gave it to Virat Kohli and also lauded him for scoring a brilliant century under pressure. He said, “I didn’t do anything I shouldn’t have done. You might go on to score 100 international hundreds, which I am sure he will because that’s the kind of player he is but you will always remember your first international hundred.”
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He further added, “I remember my first international hundred that was in Bangladesh and the first ODI hundred against Sri Lanka. So I wanted to make it special for him and that’s not something I or anyone else shouldn’t have done. That’s the kind of nature I have and that’s the kind of player he was. And what he has done, I am absolutely not surprised with what he’s achieved, and he’ll go on to achieve many more things.”
Since then, things have changed a lot but this heartwarming gesture of Gautam Gambhir always finds a way to resurface whenever they get involved in a verbal spat.
You guys know who Gautam Gambhir is ?? He gave his MoM award to Virat Kohli on his first century in international cricket such a gold hearted person he is and some people's are trolling him for his aggression. pic.twitter.com/if2E7lrfZ4
— RADHE ࿗ 𓃮 (@Iamradhe_p00) May 1, 2023