IPL 2023: 'He did not mean it at all' — Sreesanth sides with Virat Kohli, but adds 'some lines should not be crossed'

The match between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday was a low-scoring thriller that ended on a very sour note.

SportsTak

• Tue • 02 May 2023

The match between the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Monday, May 1, was a low-scoring thriller that ended on a very sour note. After moments of sledging between former RCB skipper Virat Kohli and LSG players Naveen-ul-Haq and Kyle Mayers, there was an apparent verbal fight between Kohli and LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir as the duo indulged in a huge war of words after the conclusion of the match.

One former India pacer who was also known for his aggressive attitude, Sreesanth, has chosen to side with Virat Kohli on the matter but added that a line should not be crossed after the match.

"It's just that LSG lost at home very badly and Virat Kohli had a very good day. This happens when you are known for that aggression and because you are passionate. And he is actually explaining to Rahul exactly what happened. Maybe when Naveen was batting, Virat must have said something and Naveen must have reacted when he was about to shake hands.

"You can see it in his eyes, he did not mean it at all. The white-line fever should be inside the white line and not outside," Sreesanth said on Star Sports.

As the match was coming to a close, there was an exchange of words between the former India skipper and the Afghanistan pacer, who was batting at the crease. After the match, the duo spoke a few more choice words during the customary post-match handshakes but things escalated when a seemingly harmless conversation between Kyle Mayers and Kohli took a sour turn and
Gambhir stepped in and pulled his player away from the RCB player.

This prompted another clash between the two, with the Delhi duo engaging in an animated conversation in the middle of the pitch while surrounded by teammates and match officials.

The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper was seen pointing fingers at Kohli, who did not back down and charged at him. Trying to calm the situation down were spinner Amit Mishra, RCB captain Faf du Plessis, and LSG assistant coach Vijay Dahiya who intervened and separated Kohli and Gambhir.

Following the altercation, Kohli was seen speaking with LSG captain KL Rahul, possibly explaining what had occurred.

This is not the first time Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir have clashed verbally on the pitch. Gautam Gambhir, in 2013, made headlines when Virat Kohli and he had a heated exchange at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. But the two had moved on from those heated exchanges, and a few years later, even shared laughs at an India training session.