In the high-pressure world of cricket, moments of intense rivalry and on-field confrontations are not uncommon. However, when two cricketing icons like Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir nearly came to blows during IPL 2023, it sent shockwaves through the cricketing community. The incident, marked by a heated exchange of words and physical gestures, became one of the most talked-about controversies of the tournament.
Intense altercation between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir rocks IPL 2023
The altercation between Kohli and Gambhir during IPL 2023 transcended the boundaries of a typical on-field spat. Both players, known for their competitive spirit, refused to back down, leading to a situation that required intervention from umpires and fellow players to prevent further escalation. Kohli and Gambhir were fined 100 per cent of their match fees after their verbal spat.
Agha Salman shares an interesting take
Regarding the epic Kohli-Gambhir clash, Pakistani cricketer Agha Salman revealed that he had sent a direct message to Kohli on Instagram, expressing his perspective on the incident. Salman emphasized his admiration for Kohli and clarified that his message was respectful in nature.
“I have so much respect for Virat Kohli, I don’t think there is any cricket fan in the world who doesn’t respect him. I texted him, I am not going to tell you the complete details but will just tell you the start. It started with ‘Virat Bhai’, I texted him when he had a fight with Gautam Gambhir [during IPL 2023]. I, Abdullah Shafique and Usama Mir were sitting together and watching a match, I think New Zealand were playing a series against Pakistan back then. There was nothing [negative] in that message that would make people think I said something bad,” said Salman while speaking in an interview with Islamabad United.
Also READ: IPL 2023 – An eyewitness from Gautam Gambhir-Virat Kohli verbal spat shares the unheard conversation
Salman reveals Virat Kohli’s reaction
During the 2023 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, a candid moment captured Kohli, Salman, and Shadab Khan sharing a lighthearted exchange. Salman revealed that the trio discussed the Instagram DM incident, with Shadab disclosing the details to Kohli during the Asia Cup.
“I mistakenly told Shadab Khan about texting Virat. You have watched the video of me, Shadab and Virat standing together [during Asia Cup 2023], actually, at that time, he [Shadab] had told him [Virat] that he [I] texted him. We had a bit of laughter after I told Virat that I texted you this, he then told me he may have missed the message as he receives thousands of messages every day. It was all Shadab’s doing [telling Kohli],” said Salman.