During the 2023 Indian Premier League season, a notable confrontation took place between Lucknow Super Giants’ mentor Gautam Gambhir and Royal Challengers Bangalore’s star batter Virat Kohli during their match in Lucknow. According to LSG leg-spinner Amit Mishra, it was Kohli who instigated the conflict by “abusing” LSG players, prompting Gambhir to intervene.
“Kohli began by abusing our players during the LSG vs. RCB rematch in Lucknow,” Mishra stated on YouTuber Shubhankar Mishra’s show ‘Unplugged’. “He didn’t have any issues with Kyle Myers but abused him too. He also targeted Naveen-ul-Haq. A lot of this could have been avoided, but Kohli chose not to.”
Earlier in the 2023 season, in a thrilling match in Bengaluru, LSG narrowly defeated RCB by one wicket. Gambhir’s “finger on his lips” gesture towards the home crowd added fuel to the fire. “The crowd was going wild, so Gautam gestured for them to be quiet. Virat Kohli probably didn’t appreciate that. We thought it was over with the game, but it wasn’t for Kohli,” Mishra recalled.
Following an 18-run win, Kohli reciprocate the gesture to the Lucknow crowd. “The issue escalated post-game. During the customary handshakes, Kohli started abusing again. That’s when Gambhir stepped in, asking why Kohli was reigniting the conflict after the game had ended and RCB had won. I separated Gambhir, but later Naveen came to the dressing room saying that Kohli had continued abusing,” Mishra added.
However, during the 2024 IPL season, when Gambhir, as the mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders, faced RCB, the interactions appeared more cordial. “On social media, it seemed like the issue was resolved. But do you think Naveen will ever respect Kohli again? And what about the young players who witnessed a star behaving in such a manner?” Mishra questioned.