Controversy continues to follow Naveen-ul-Haq after his on-field altercation with Virat Kohli during the IPL 2023 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants. The Afghan pacer was spotted having a conversation with Vice President of BCCI, Rajeev Shukla, ahead of LSG’s match against Chennai Super Kings on May 3, in Lucknow.
Naveen was fined 50% of his match fee for his behavior during the game, while Kohli and LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir were fined 100% for their altercation after RCB’s victory. Gambhir had come to Naveen’s defense after Kohli sledged the young pacer, resulting in a furious conversation between the two.
Interestingly, this is not the first time Kohli and Gambhir have had a heated argument on the field. In IPL 2013, the two had a verbal spat during a game between KKR and RCB while leading their respective teams. Gambhir had given a send-off to Kohli, which led to a heated argument before being separated.
Naveen has been involved in similar incidents in the past as well, including a scuffle with Mohammed Amir and Shahid Afridi during the Lanka Premier League in 2020. Despite his on-field antics, Naveen recorded impressive figures of 3/30 against RCB, dismissing Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, and Mohammed Siraj, respectively. His spell helped LSG restrict RCB to 126/9 in the first innings. However, the KL Rahul-led side lost the game by 18 runs, with the captain forced to come out to bat despite getting injured during the first innings.
In the ongoing IPL 2023, Naveen has picked up seven wickets in four matches at an average of 14 and an economy of 6.12.
The incident has once again raised concerns over on-field behavior and sledging in cricket, with fans and experts calling for stricter action against players who engage in such behavior. It remains to be seen whether the BCCI will take any further action against Naveen or any other players involved in the altercation.
