Sanjiv Goenka spoke about the infamous spar between Virat Kohli and Naveen Ul Haq during the LSG v RCB clash in IPL 2023. During the match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants, Kohli got into a heated dispute with Naveen, and the battle turned violent.
The incident began after Virat Kohli allegedly slammed Naveen-ul-Haq during the play. However, Naveen later had an intense conversation with the famous Indian cricketer after the match since he didn’t like Kohli’s statements.
Gautam Gambhir, LSG’s mentor at the time, was also involved in the later-game confrontation. The conversation turned heated but was eventually stopped. By that point, it had made headlines because Naveen was constantly booed on the field for having a heated exchange with Kohli.
LSG was fully supporting Naveen ul Haq: Sanjiv Goenka on spat with Virat Kohli
Sanjiv Goenka discussed his role in the heated confrontation between Naveen-ul-Haq and Virat Kohli. Goenka expressed his own opinion, stating that no one can criticize the two players because they know what is going on at the moment.
Sanjiv Goenka also revealed that he promised Naveen-ul-Haq complete support during this time, but urged him to fight back with his performance. He also commended Naveen and Kohli for their efforts in addressing the matter.
“That situation arose in the game. I won’t say if anybody is right or wrong. It is easy to be judgmental but it is not for us to judge anyone. Only he can understand what was going on in his mind during that time.
But I told Naveen that if you need any support and if you are feeling insecure, we are there to support you. But it is not only about showing that you have the spirit to fight. If I were you, I would have said that I will pick the wickets of your team. Let the work speak,” Goenka said on TRS show podcast.
“There is only one approach. Naveen is a very good boy and is also big-hearted. So, he went to Virat (Kohli) and resolved the issue. And Virat equally made it up as well,” he added.
— Troll (@trolllolz) December 12, 2024
Following the incident, Naveen shared a photograph of mangoes on his social media account, along with a photo of Kohli being dismissed for one during a match against the Mumbai Indians.
Virat Kohli and Naveen Ul Haq make up during India v Afghanistan ICC World Cup 2023 match
The issue was later settled the following year, when Virat Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq shook hands during India’s ODI World Cup 2023 match against Afghanistan in Delhi, putting a stop to their argument. Virat also urged the Delhi audience to cheer Naveen-ul-Haq rather than boo him.
Both players were pleased to work effectively together in the IPL 2024. Not only did Naveen handle the situation with Gautam Gambhir during IPL 2024, but Kohli also brought the altercation to a conclusion.
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