Naveen ul Haq has called Virat Kohli a “nice guy” after they seemingly ended their highly-discussed rivalry – that started in this year’s IPL – with a hug during the India-Afghanistan clash in the 2023 World Cup.
Kohli and Naveen had an infamous encounter during this year’s IPL when they exchanged words during a match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants. Naveen appeared to have a few words to say to the former Indian captain while he was out to bat, and the altercation continued after the collision and there was some drama during the post-match handshake.
Since then, Naveen has become a frequent target of Indian fans, and chants of “Kohli Kohli” can be heard every time he appears. The World Cup match in Kohli’s hometown of Delhi was no exception, with the crowd erupting every time Naveen appeared on the big screen.
However, when Naveen walked towards Kohli during the match, the two appeared to be hugging each other. The two shook hands and hugged, and Kohli also signaled to the crowd not to boo Naveen, echoing Steve Smith’s call for the crowd to cheer instead of mock him when he returns to action at the 2019 World Cup. It was the same gesture as when Tampering Saga.
This gesture earned Kohli the ICC Spirit of the Year award.
Naveen on Wednesday praised Kohli’s similar move. After the match, Naveen told reporters: “He (Kohli) is a good guy, a good player. We just shook hands and brushed off everything that went on in the IPL. It’s always been It was on the ground and there was nothing out there. It’s the media that makes it big for people and they want something like this for their followers.”
In response to the derisive cries of “Koli Koli” directed at him, he said, “We don’t think about such things.” The crowd chanted the names of their favorite people. I chanted. This is their home stadium and they need to support their home team and hometown boy. ”
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