Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players'We shook hands, and Virat said...': Naveen-ul-Haq reveals chat with India star after duo embraced in IND vs AFG WC game
Naveen and Kohli came face-to-face for the first time since the infamous IPL game in April.
The much-talked-about feud between India's star batter Virat Kohli and Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq appears to have reached a resolution as they met each other on the World Cup stage at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday. This bitter feud flared up during the 2023 Indian Premier League encounter between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Lucknow Super Giants. Tensions escalated as both teams converged for handshakes, and it was during this exchange that Kohli and Naveen exchanged heated words. The incident garnered significant attention and speculation about whether the two would bury the hatchet in future encounters.
Finally, after four months had passed since that controversial IPL match, both players found themselves on the same field during India's World Cup clash against Afghanistan. During the 26th over of the second innings, an unexpected moment of reconciliation occurred as Kohli and Naveen embraced each other, effectively putting an end to the feud that had garnered significant media attention and fan interest.
Also read: Sunil Gavaskar namedrops Sehwag after Rohit crushes Afghanistan with record-breaking 100 in WC: ‘Viru was also...’
Kohli's perspective on the matter was evident when he stated in an RCB video, "A sweet win. If you can give it, you got to take it. Otherwise, don't give it."
However, following the game in Delhi, both eventually reconciled and Naveen also revealed the conversation he had with Kohli on the field following the duo's embrace. “He is a nice guy, a good player and we shook hands. It’s always in the ground, it was nothing outside the ground. People make it big. They need that stuff for their followers. He said we are done with that and I said yes we are done with it. We shook hands and hugged,” the Afghan pacer said.
Interestingy, Naveen had remained rather unapologetic over the entire incident in the past months, that added fuel to the rivalry. Following the controversial IPL game, Naveen took to his Instagram profile, wriing, “You get what you deserve. That's how it should be and that's how it goes.”
A month later, Naveen provided his side of the story in an interview with BBC Pashto. He emphasized, "He shouldn't have said all those things during the match and after it. I didn't start the fight. After the match, when we were shaking hands, Virat Kohli started the fight."
Naveen continued, explaining, "Players, who were there, they know how I dealt with the situation. I never lost my temper when I was batting or after the match. What I did after the match can be seen by everyone. I was just shaking hands, and then he (Kohli) caught my hand forcefully, and I am also a human being, and I reacted."
