After Afridi, Afghanistan's Naveen disrespects Kohli

This is not the first time that Naveen has been involved in a verbal altercation with an opposition player on the field

PHOTO: File

Afghanistan fast bowler, Naveen ul Haq was involved in a heated argument with former RCB skipper, Virat Kohli during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants on Monday.

The incident took place at the Ekana Sports City in Lucknow, and it sparked a series of events that dictated the proceedings of the match till the post-match presentation.

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The exact reason for the argument and who initiated it is still unclear, but it is not the first time that Naveen has been involved in a verbal altercation with an opposition player on the field.

During the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League in 2020, Naveen was involved in a similar heated exchange of words with Mohammad Amir and Shahid Afridi.

Naveen-ul-Haq fight between other players in SriLanka Premier League

Fight 02 : Naveen Vs Mohammad Amir#IPL2023 #RCBvLSG #ViratKohli #naveenulhaq #Gambhir #gambhirvskohli #LPL #SriLanka pic.twitter.com/EfPIBE8DiN
— விடாமுயற்சியுடன் டேவிட் (@DavidVaasu) May 2, 2023

The match between RCB and LSG was a thrilling one, despite being delayed by rain and having a low score. After Bangalore won the game by 18 runs, there were several moments that caught the attention of the fans. Kohli, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Gautam Gambhir were seen involved in a heated conversation, and Kohli also had a similar exchange with the former cricketer.

#ViratKohli This is the moment when whole fight started between Virat Kohli and LSG Gautam Gambhir
Amit Mishra
Naveen ul haq#LSGvsRCB pic.twitter.com/hkId1J33vY
— Mehulsinh Vaghela (@LoneWarrior1109) May 1, 2023

Kohli was visibly animated throughout the match, especially when the LSG batter were getting dismissed during their chase. In the previous clash between Lucknow and RCB, it was Gambhir who had displayed similar animated reactions during the game and had even gestured to the crowd to 'shut up'.

The altercation between Naveen and Kohli seems to have escalated after Kohli commented on something while gesturing towards Naveen's left-leg shoe. This incident was a tipping point in the events that took place until the post-match presentation, which were far from ideal.

As a result of the altercation, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took strict action against Kohli, Gambhir, and Naveen-ul-Haq for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. Kohli and Gambhir were fined 100% of their match fees after they were found guilty of a Level 2 offence, while Naveen-ul-Haq lost 50% of his match fees for his Level 1 offence. All three admitted to their respective offences and accepted the sanctions.

The sanctions doesn't seem to be the end of controversy, as Naveen posted a cryptic story on his Instagram, in which he might be hinting at the incident and taking a dig at Indian superstar, Kohli.

The story read,"You get what you deserve and that's how it should be and that's how it goes."