The Virat Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq IPL argument was resolved on Wednesday in Delhi during the India vs. Afghanistan World Cup game. It appears that what appeared to be a personal rivalry is over.
On Wednesday night, Virat Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq’s disagreement, which had reached an out-of-control level at the start of this year during the IPL 2023 and drawn attention during the India vs. Afghanistan World Cup 2023 match, was peacefully resolved. Players set aside old grudges and moved past the infamous chapter.
In the 26th over, while India was attempting to reach its goal, Kohli and Naveen engaged in a contentious discussion in which they decided to set aside their differences and embrace one another with a friendship worth millions of dollars. The cameras saw Naveen approaching Kohli and shaking hands with the former Indian captain as Kohli was making his way back to the pavilion after Rohit Sharma’s magnificent century, which was setting records left and right with his incredible 131-run performance.
Naveen and Kohli both broke into a warm smile right away, marking the resolution of a particularly tense incident between the two international players just a few months prior.
When Shreyas Iyer was about to enter the game and Rohit Sharma was leaving, an interesting series of events occurred, according to Ravi Shastri. I’m done now. Virat Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq shaking hands. That’s good, too. The audience enjoys it. In the heat of the moment, especially in these circumstances, you might have your say, but it’s still a beautiful sight. Before winding up the subject, he said in jesting fashion, “Whatever it may be, Naveen has said ‘Virat Kohli to return to the pavilion,’ sarcastically.”
Since the beginning of this match, spectators have been focused on one scenario: Naveen bowling to Kohli. It took some time, but in the 20th over when Kohli was out and the ball was given to Naveen, it finally happened. With ten deliveries to Kohli, Naveen only conceded three singles. This argument might have heated up, but when attention turned to the game, it quickly subsided.
The Delhi fans started screaming “Kohli, Kohli” for Naveen earlier in the day whenever Afghanistan’s quick bowler was visible on camera. Before joining his teammates for practice, Naveen received treatment. The Arun Jaitley Stadium was at its loudest afterwards, when Naveen stepped out to bat.
What, then, had happened between Naveen and Kohli?
In IPL 2023, a furious dispute between Kohli and Naveen during the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants caused an unforeseen turn of events. When Afghan fast bowler Naveen arrived at the crease, tensions started to rise. Following the game, the argument got out of hand and turned physical between the two players. The situation became so hot that Gautam Gambhir, who had served as LSG’s mentor, became interested in it, making it the most talked-about scandal of the IPL season.
Following this occurrence, a protracted online argument broke out between Naveen and Kohli, who traded cryptic references for motivational and wise words. Being involved in such altercations was rare for Kohli, especially in light of the fact that he recently left RCB and the captaincy of the Indian cricket team. Fans had been eagerly awaiting a confrontation between these two players ever since that memorable night in Bangalore, but Kohli and Naveen’s outstanding performance on the field put an end to the long-anticipated rivalry.