Afghanistan's fast bowler, Naveen-ul-Haq, recently discussed his intense verbal altercation with India's star batsman, Virat Kohli, during the IPL 2023 season. The heated exchange took place during a match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
The incident occurred when Naveen-ul-Haq attempted to twist Virat Kohli's hand while the players were exchanging handshakes after the match. Tensions escalated further when LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir intervened, leading to a heated exchange between him and Kohli.
Despite the confrontation, Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq found common ground and shared a light-hearted moment during the ODI World Cup match between India and Afghanistan the previous year.
In a video shared by Texas Kings on its X platform (formerly Twitter), Naveen explained that the incident was a result of the heat of the moment and emphasized that there were no personal grudges involved. The Afghan pacer mentioned that he and Kohli had resolved their differences during the ODI World Cup.
"I made it clear that It was in the heat of the moment. He was representing his franchise, I was playing for my franchise, If it is for my franchise or for my country, I will give it all. I won't back down." Naveen said.
"At the end of the day we are all players and some of us are close friends, some of us are colleagues. We just brush it out and there's nothing personal. In the ODI World Cup, it finished once and for all." he added.
Virat Kohli and Naveen ul Haq competed against each other in the Super 8 match between India and Afghanistan. The Men in Blue emerged victorious over the Rashid Khan-led side by a margin of 47 runs. Team India secured a spot in the semifinals by finishing at the top of Group 1 and ultimately went on to claim the T20 World Cup title. On the other hand, Afghanistan suffered a defeat against South Africa in their first-ever World Cup semifinal appearance.
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