Virat Kohli’s classy gesture after brutal booing for IPL foe quells rowdy crowd
A spat between Indian batter Virat Kohli and Afghanistan faster bowler Naveen-ul-Haq has been put to bed.
Earlier this year, the pair came to blows in an IPL fixture between Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Naveen’s Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Naveen reportedly bristled at suggestions that Kohli’s men should bowl bouncers to the tail-end batters. Post-match, the pair butted heads again.
Naveen later blamed Kohli for starting the altercation.
“He (Kohli) shouldn’t have said all those things during the match and after it,” he told BBC Pashto.
“I didn’t start the fight. After the match, when we were shaking hands, Virat Kohli started the fight.
“I just want to say one thing I generally don’t sledge anyone, and even if I do it I would say it to the batters only when I am bowling because I am a bowler.
“In that match, I didn’t utter a single word. I didn’t sledge anyone.”
Since then, Naveen has been the subject of taunts from Indian supporters who have chanted Kohli’s name.
Now, it seems, the feud is over. During Wednesday’s match between India and Afghanistan, the two foes shook hands.
The moment of the match came when Kohli gestured to the crowd to stop booing Naveen.
The pair embraced again, hugging post-match and exchanging a few words.
It’s not the first time Kohli has pleaded with his home crowd. During India’s win over Australia, Kohli gestured to clap Steve Smith (below).
Afghanistan won the toss in their second ODI World Cup match and elected to bat and ended up 8-272, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi top-scoring on 80.
In reply, India chased down the total with 15 overs remaining with eight wickets in hand.
Captain Rohit Sharma top-scored with 131 while Virat Kohli ended up on 55 not out. Ishan Kishan fell just short of a half-century with 47 while Shreyas Iyer ended up not out on 25.
India will face Pakistan on Saturday at 7.30pm AEDT while Afghanistan will take on England a day later at the same time.
