'Virat Kohli-Naveen-ul-Haq' Saga continues as latter accuses former of physical provocation

Virat Kohli, the Royal Challengers Bangalore star allegedly provoked Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq physically, which resulted in the two getting into a heated argument during the 2023 Indian Premier League. The "no handshake" incident with former Indian Cricket Board president Sourav Ganguly and the subsequent argument between him and Lucknow Super Giants coach Gautam Gambhir, which also involved Naveen, put Kohli in the middle of two major IPL 2023 scandals.

While none of the three have explicitly said what sparked the verbal altercation, Naveen's startling admission is the closest representation of the truth. In the 18th over of LSG's chase, Kohli and Naveen got into a heated argument; however, the Afghanistan quick indicates that the argument started after the game, with Virat being blamed for starting it.

‘When we were shaking hands, Virat Kohli started the fight’ – Naveen-ul-Haq

"He (Kohli) shouldn't have said all those things during the match and after it. 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," Naveen told BBC Pashto.

"Players who were there, they know how I dealt with the situation. I never lost my temper, when I was batting or after the match. What I did after the match can be seen by everyone. I was just shaking hands and then he (Kohli) grabbed my hand forcefully and I am also a human being and I reacted."

"When you will look at the fines you will understand who started the fight. If someone is saying something to me I won't back off. I have had it since I started playing the U-16 for Afghanistan. I never badmouth anyone but if anyone does that to me I don't stay silent. I give it back. You can call it wrong but that's how it is," he mentioned.

"Be it a young player from the opposition or a senior team member, be it in a club match, playing for Afghanistan, or in the IPL, I play the cricket match with the same intensity and I would back off when someone says something to me."