Watch: Kohli showed the shoe to Naveen, threw a huge controversy on Mishra. Cricket
Royal Challengers BangaloreLucknow Supergiants match was completely opposite to the general trend IPL 2023, Most or all matches so far have been high-scoring affairs, with even totals in excess of 200 no longer safe. Between sixes and fours, half-centuries and batting milestones came a match where batsmen struggled on a slow pitch, the ball gripping and turning. It was the kind of track where the services of KL Rahul were needed more than any other batsman, yet LSG was left unfortunate with his hamstring injury. RCB eventually won the game by 18 runs Despite posting a total of 126 for nine.
But the talk of the match was far away from the game. An episode with Naveen-ul-Haq stole the script after Virat Kohli’s spat with Amit Mishra which later turned into an uncomfortable scene even after the match was over.
The row started towards the end of Lucknow’s innings, in the 17th over, when Kohli was seen having a long and heated conversation with the on-field umpires, who were trying to pacify the RCB star. An over later, the full footage was played by the broadcasters where Kohli said something which led to a reaction from Naveen as he pointed towards him. Kohli retaliated verbally and also showed his shoe before pointing towards Naveen. It was not clear what Kohli was trying to say, but a player of his stature pointing to his shoes and then pointing his finger at a much smaller opponent did not make for a good picture.
Umpires came to intervene. Later, Kohli was seen having a brief exchange with Mishra as well as the umpire standing in the middle to stop the fight.
Watch video: Virat Kohli shows shoe to Naveen-ul-Haq, umpires intervene
The footage also included a part where Kohli was warning Mishra to calm down Naveen, before the Afghanistan cricketer bludgeoned the former RCB skipper to death.
Video: Virat Kohli throws a mouthful at Amit Mishra during LSG vs RCB match
After the match was over, as the players lined up to shake hands, Kohli and Naveen shook hands too but once again the conversation lasted for a while. Kohli didn’t pay attention to it as he went ahead to shake hands with the next player, but immediately turned back as Naveen kept bowling a mouthful. And before things could get any more heated between the two, Glenn Maxwell stepped in and separated the two.
Video: Naveen-ul-Haq brushes off Kohli after intense handshake after LSG vs RCB match
It also had a third part. Almost immediately after the handshake, Kohli had an ugly spat with LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir, who accused the RCB legend of ignoring desperate attempts by KL Rahul and others to stop him. After the whole Kohli-Gambhir episode, the former India skipper was seen chatting with KL Rahul on the same matter, presumably explaining his side of the story when Naveen went past it. He then looked back and uttered a few words, but Kohli ignored him and gestured him to go away.
