Controversy erupted after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 game between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB in Lucknow yesterday as RCB star batter Virat Kohli and LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir were involved in a heated exchange.
The altercation led to both the cricketing stalwarts being handed a 100% fine on their respective match fee, for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. Today morning, Kohli took to Instagram and posted a cryptic story, which seemed to be a response to the stories that have been surfacing on social media over the incidents that took place on the field.
Virat wrote: "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth".
Throughout the match, Kohli could be seen being quite animated whenever an LSG batter was getting dismissed during the chase. The post-match confrontation followed from a clash between LSG's Naveen-ul-Haq and Kohli, according to media reports.
The incident is said to have taken place during the break between the 16th and 17th over, when Kohli had an altercation with Naveen. The two also had a brief exchange after the match where Naveen is seen shaking his head and supposedly refusing to talk to Kohli.
The last time when the two teams clashed in Bengaluru in an IPL 2023 game, Gambhir had gestured towards the Bengaluru crowd with a 'shut up' sign. It is not clear whether Virat was reacting to that. But after the match ended, the two shook hands and things looked perfectly normal. Then, LSG opener Kyle Mayers walked up to Kohli and started saying something to the RCB great.
Gambhir came and took Mayers away, but, a little while after this incident, visuals from the match showed Gambhir being quite animated and saying something to Kohli, who seemed to be the calmer person between the two. Other players, including KL Rahul, and support staff separated the two. Then, Kohli was seen having a lengthy chat with LSG captain Rahul.
Bangalore defeated Lucknow by 18 runs. LSG restricted RCB to 126 for nine. In reply, the hosts were tottering at 27 for four and then 65 for six in the 11th over. Eventually, LSG were all out for 108 in 19.5 overs. Skipper Faf du Plessis scored 44 off 40 balls after RCB won the toss and opted to bat first, while Virat Kohli consumed 30 deliveries in making 31 at the top of the order.
After the match, Virat Kohli said in an interview, "it was a very sweet win. Feels special for many reasons! We got more support than the home team shows how much we're liked".
Meting out the punishment, the IPL said in a release, "Lucknow Super Giants' Mentor Gautam Gambhir has been fined 100 per cent of his match fee for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. Gambhir admitted to the Level 2 offence under Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct. Royal Challengers Bangalore batter Virat Kohli has been fined 100 per cent of his match fee for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match against Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. Kohli admitted to the Level 2 offence under Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct."