Afghanistan's star pacer Naveen-ul-Haq has finally addressed the much-talked-about 'Sweet Mangoes' controversy from IPL 2023. Playing for Lucknow Super Giants, Naveen became the center of attention after a heated exchange with ex-Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli in the IPL 2023, which quickly spread across social media platforms. Post the ugly spat between the duo, Naveen had posted a picture on Instagram, showing him enjoying mangoes during a match between Mumbai Indians and RCB. This coincidental timing led fans to speculate a connection between the post and Kohli's performance, sparking widespread discussions in the media.
Naveen, however, have now given the clarification on the ‘sweet mangoes’ saga with Kohli in a video interview with LSG. He admitted that his Instagram post was not directed to Kohli.
“I had told Dhaval bhai (LSG team logistics) that I wanted to eat mangoes,” Naveen said.
“And he got mangoes that night itself. When we went to Goa, he brought mangoes. So I was sitting in front of the screen and eating mangoes. There was no picture or anything (of Kohli), it was a Mumbai Indians player on the screen.
“So I wrote ‘sweet mangoes’ and everyone took it in a different way. So even I didn’t say anything, I just left it. I thought it was mango season, so people’s shops should also do well,” added Naveen, who retired from ODIs after the end of World Cup in India earlier this month.
Naveen and Kohli bury the hatchet in the just-concluded ODI World Cup 2023 when India locked horns with Afghanistan. “He (Virat ) told me ‘let’s finish it.’ I said yeah let’s finish it. We laughed about it, we hugged and moved on. He also said that after this you won’t hear my name. You will only hear support from the crowd,” Naveen had earlier said.
Naveen, the star Afghan all-rounder, showcased his bowling prowess during the ODI World Cup 2023, claiming eight wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.55 across eight matches. Afghanistan's overall performance in the tournament was commendable, securing sixth place in the points table after winning four out of nine matches. The team turned heads after shocking 2019 champions England in Delhi on October 15 and then followed it up with upsetting Pakistan by eight wickets in Chennai on October 23.
Naveen bid adieu to ODI cricket following Afghanistan's exit from World Cup 2023. Afghanistan's campaign at World Cup 2023 came to a halt after a five-wicket loss against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK
Watch: Rinku Singh reveals secret behind massive sixer during India's 4th T20I vs Australia
WPL 2024 Auction: 165 players set to go under the hammer on December 9, know all details here
India thrash Pakistan's massive T20I record after sealing series vs Australia with emphatic win
