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ICC World Cup 2023: Virat's tension with Naveen ends on a lighter note

Virat Kohli and Naveen ul Haq ended their feud which existed for months post the IPL 2023 with a smile during the World Cup.

By Soumya | Oct 12, 2023 | 2 Min Read

The game of cricket has already been a battlefield which escalates outside the boundary of bat and ball. Sometimes, these even lead to a heated exchange of words and ‘sledging’ which has not been taken on a very positive note. Everyone remembers the heated exchange of words between Gautam Gambhir and Akmal or that of Harbhajan and Shoaib Akhtar. Similarly, King Kohli has also been surrounded by these uncertainties in recent months.

In a recent IPL match, Kohli got into a heated exchange of words with an Afghani bowler Naveen ul Haq. The exact reasons for the argument remain an enigma even now. Yet fans of Virat Kohli took to social media to show their for him. Subsequently, it also gave rise to many speculations as to how both cricketers will react when they take the field against each other in the ICC World Cup 2023. However, both cricketers ended their internal bickering with a smile thereby ending the feud which existed for months.

What was the controversy between Virat and Naveen?

The bitter feud between the two flared up during the 2023 Indian Premier League when the Royal Challengers Bangalore was facing the Lucknow Super Giants. Subsequently, the tension between the two escalated. This resulted in a heated exchange of words when both teams converged for handshakes. IPL is a mega event even when considered in terms of media attention. Naturally, the incident garnered significant attention from across the globe. There were many speculations as well as whether the two would bury the hatchet in future encounters. These speculations got the added fuel after the Afghan Pacer remained unapologetic over the entire incident.

Finally, after four months both players found themselves on the same field during India’s World Cup clash against Afghanistan. Subsequently, during the 26th over of the second innings, an unexpected moment of reconciliation occurred between Kohli and Naveen. Both players embraced each other which effectively ended the feud that had garnered significant media attention and fan interest.

After the reconciliation in Delhi Naveen also revealed his conversation with Kohli on the field. “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.