Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli, two of the most successful Indian cricketers of the modern era, have had several on-field spats over the years. The two have been involved in numerous heated exchanges on the cricket field, particularly during the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches.
As Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) face-off, the storied rivalry between Gambhir and Kohli will also take centre stage.
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Their first major altercation happened in 2013 during an IPL match between KKR and RCB. Kohli, who was leading RCB at the time, got into an argument with Gambhir, who was captaining KKR, after a fielding incident. The two had a heated exchange of words and even pushed each other before being separated by their teammates.
After ten years of the incident, in a recent interview, Gambhir addressed the infamous on-field spat, stating that he never took it personally. Gambhir acknowledged that he expects Kohli, just like himself, to be competitive on the field. As a leader, he believes that sometimes, personal relationships take a backseat, and one must do what’s best for their team. “MS Dhoni is a competitor in his own way, Virat is a competitor in his own way,” Gambhir stated during an interview with Jatin Sapru on his Youtube channel.
In 2016, during an IPL match between KKR and RCB at the Eden Gardens, then KKR skipper Gambhir’s aggressive behavior was on full display during the match. Despite putting up a total of 183 runs on the board, KKR lost the match by 9 wickets. In the 19th over, Gambhir, in a fit of rage, threw the ball towards the non-striker’s end, where Kohli was standing after already completing the run. The incident led to an altercation between Gambhir and the officials. Kohli was the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 51-ball 75 in the match.
The latest in the ongoing saga happened last year as Kohli and Gambhir got into a heated argument following a tense clash between the two teams. Both players were fined for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct.
After LSG’s win against RCB in 2023, tensions ran high on the field. This comes after a previous incident where Gambhir shushed the crowd at M Chinnaswamy Stadium during LSG’s one-wicket victory against RCB earlier in the season. During the post-match handshake, Kohli’s chat with LSG’s Kyle Mayers seemed to have angered Gambhir further. Meanwhile, LSG bowler Naveen-ul-Haq was seen arguing with Kohli, with Glenn Maxwell holding him back. Amidst the chaos, Gambhir appeared more agitated and had to be restrained multiple times from charging towards Kohli. It was only after players, match officials, and support staff intervened that the situation was diffused.
While the reasons behind their spats have varied over the years, it is clear that there is no love lost between Kohli and Gambhir. Despite their differences, both players remain highly respected in the cricketing world for their incredible talent and contributions to the sport. What does IPL 2024 have in strore for us?
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