Two major controversies have broken during this edition of the IPL, and Virat Kohli has been at the centre of both. If last month, Kohli's no handshake with Delhi Capitals Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly created a stir, kicking off the months of May was another incident that will be talked about for years to come. On Monday evening, when all the news should have been around how Royal Challengers Bangalore inspirationally defended 130 against Lucknow Super Giants, hogging all the limelight was an ugly confrontation between long-time IPL rivals Kohli and Gautam Gambhir. The two former India teammates had a nasty go at each other with things reaching a crescendo after the match when Kohli and Gambhir's emotionally-driven spat required intervention. Teammates surrounded Kohli and Gambhir, and the likes of Glenn Maxwell and KL Rahul had to step in to separate the two.
It all began when Naveen-ul-Haq said something to Kohli during the 17th over of LSG innings, which did not sit well with the former RCB captain. The two then got into a manic exchange with Amit Mishra chipping in. Kohli did not take kindly to Mishra either and hurled a mouthful at his former India and Delhi teammate. The constant back-and-forth jibes and verbal attacks took a turn for the worse and capped off with Gambhir and Kohli nearly coming to blows.
Also Read - The actual reason behind Kohli and Gambhir's boiling fight after LSG vs RCB IPL match: Timeline of bitter rivalry
Not that Kohli did not have score to settle with Gambhir. He very well remembered LSG mentor's aggressive handshake with him and his infamous 'shush celebration' from their previous league game of the season; hence, when the opportunity arrived, Kohli gave it back to Gambhir with a ‘silencing of the crowd gesture' himself. What really caused pandemonium after the match, by the look of it, was Gambhir's decision to stand up for his players – Mishra and Naveen in particular, who faced the wrath of Kohli.
{{/usCountry}}Not that Kohli did not have score to settle with Gambhir. He very well remembered LSG mentor's aggressive handshake with him and his infamous 'shush celebration' from their previous league game of the season; hence, when the opportunity arrived, Kohli gave it back to Gambhir with a ‘silencing of the crowd gesture' himself. What really caused pandemonium after the match, by the look of it, was Gambhir's decision to stand up for his players – Mishra and Naveen in particular, who faced the wrath of Kohli.
{{/usCountry}}Having said that, Kohli wasn't entirely rough the entire evening. In fact, amid all this fracas, Kohli was in the middle of a pretty amazing moment when a fan breached security and hijacked the ground to touch Virat's feet. In the end, not only did he manage to what he set to accomplish, the fan also received an unexpected gift from his idol. Usually, one to not indulge into such activities – last year he ran away from a fan speeding towards him at Kolkata's Eden Gardens – Kohli picked up the fan and hugged him in an act that absolutely won everyone's hearts.
Watch Kohli's incredible gesture below:
Perhaps Kohli was in a good mood – it was Anushka Sharma's birthday after all – and the fan had reserved his shenanigans for the right place, and the right time… before the Gambhir saga unfolded.
As part of all that transpired after the match, Gambhir and Kohli were both fined 100 percent fee by the BCCI. During IPL 2013, Kohli and Gambhir became part of a moment that sparked the beginning of their rivalry, and 10 years later, the two have once again made headlines for all the wrong reasons.