Foes turned friends in Delhi as Virat Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq shared a warm embrace on the field at the Arun Jaitley Stadium to bury the hatchet in India’s World Cup 2023 match against Afghanistan. The day started with the Delhi crowd chanting ‘Kohli, Kohli’ when Naveen-ul-Haq walked out to bat during Afghanistan’s innings in their World Cup match.
Hours later, when Virat Kohli walked into bat at his home ground, the crowd gave a thunderous reception, welcoming the son of soil to his only second World Cup match in Delhi. As expected, Afghanistan brought their quick Naveen-ul-Haq into the attack when Virat Kohli started his innings in the middle.
WATCH – Indian Fans Chant Virat Kohli’s Name as Naveen-ul-Haq Takes the Crease
During the change of overs in India’s chase, the broadcasters captured Virat Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq sharing a warm embrace, telling the world that they have moved on from the nasty episode that dominated headlines during an IPL 2023 contest between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow.
Here is the video of the warm geture:
Finally Naveen ul haq bow down to Goat Virat Kohli 🐐#INDvsAFG pic.twitter.com/AEBFCJ0POX
— ° (@imGurjar_) October 11, 2023
The two cricketers had a go at each other during an IPL match in Lucknow after the Afghanistan fast bowler and Kohli’s teammate Mohammed Siraj were involved in a needling battle on the field. The dispute did not end on the field. During the customary post-match handshakes, the tension escalated as Kohli and Naveen continued their spat.
It was at this point that Lucknow mentor Gautam Gambhir intervened, leading to a further escalation of the situation. Gambhir, who has a history of on-field confrontations with Kohli, was seen approaching Kohli aggressively, leading to a full-blown argument between the two.
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Following the game, both Kohli and Naveen took to social media to share cryptic messages. Kohli posted a quote attributed to Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, stating, “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” This post was widely interpreted as a response to the on-field altercation.
In subsequent interviews, Naveen claimed that it was Kohli who instigated the fight by grabbing his hand forcefully during the handshake. He also stated that he did not start the fight and only reacted to Kohli’s aggressive behavior. Both players were fined for their conduct, with Kohli losing his entire match fee and Naveen being fined half of his.
