IPL 2023: Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir in heated war of words after RCB beat LSG in low-scoring match

Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir were seemingly involved in a war of words after Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 18 runs at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Virat Kohli was fired up for RCB in a low-scoring match against LSG. He had scored 31 in a strong opening partnership with Faf du Plessis and then took a couple of sharp catches as his side defended a modest 126.

Shortly after the match, Virat Kohli and LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir were seen in the middle of a heated exchange. The two had to be separated by Amit Mishra, RCB captain Faf du Plessis and LSG assistant coach Vijay Dahiya. After the altercation, Kohli was also spotted talking to LSG captain KL Rahul, perhaps explaining to him what happened.

While it wasn’t clear what the problem was about, Virat Kohli looked agitated.

In their previous meeting in the 2023 IPL, Lucknow Super Giants had chased down a massive total against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. After that win on April 10, Gautam Gambhir had put a finger to his lips while looking at the crowd during an emotional celebration.

On Monday, after RCB defended a low total, Virat Kohli was equally charged up and had even asked the Lucknow crowd to be silent when he completed a catch to dismiss Krunal Pandya early in the evening. However, it all seemed to be fine at the end as Virat Kohli looked calmer.

This is not the first time that Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir have faced off in a verbal battle on the field. Back in 2013, Gautam Gambhir, the then captain of Kolkata Knight Riders and Virat Kohli had made headlines with a tense exchange at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. But the two had moved on from those heated moments and a few years later, even shared laughs at a training session for India.

“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.