Weeks after their highly publicized clash during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Gautam Gambhir, former Indian cricketer, has finally opened up about his relationship with his former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammate, Virat Kohli. The altercation between the former RCB captain Kohli and the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Gambhir, occurred after Bangalore’s victory over KL Rahul’s team in the 16th season of the lucrative league.
Having been teammates during India’s triumphant World Cup campaign in 2011, Gambhir and Kohli added another intense chapter to their IPL rivalry with a heated exchange following RCB’s dominant performance against LSG in match No. 43 of IPL 2023. This incident reignited memories of their previous ugly face-off when Gambhir represented the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2013.
In his first public statement addressing the verbal spat with Kohli, LSG mentor Gambhir clarified that there was no personal animosity between him and the former Indian captain. He sought to downplay the altercation and even mentioned the revered cricketer MS Dhoni in a notable remark. “My relationship with MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli is the same. If there is an argument between us, it remains confined to the field and does not spill over off the field. There is no personal grudge. They are as determined to win as I am,” Gambhir stated in an interview with News 18.
During the match, Kohli also engaged in a heated exchange with LSG pacer Naveen-ul-Haq before getting involved in a fiery discussion with Kyle Mayers. Witnessing Kohli’s post-match behavior, Gambhir confronted the RCB superstar as they shook hands. Both former RCB captain Kohli and LSG mentor Gambhir were fined 100 percent of their match fees for breaching Article 2.21 of the IPL code of conduct at the time.
Gautam Gambhir about Ms dhoni and his PR team which made him Hero of 2007 & 2011 World cup.pic.twitter.com/I8xEyBfpZV
— ᴘʀᴀᴛʜᴍᴇsʜ⁴⁵ (@45Fan_Prathmesh) June 11, 2023
Please do listen to Gautam Gambhir what he said about Virat Kohli's fight during IPL.pic.twitter.com/NDD1UupHO8
— Farrago Abdullah Parody (@abdullah_0mar) June 11, 2023
“Look, I have had numerous confrontations on the cricket field. It’s not like I have never been involved in fights. However, I have always made sure that those altercations and arguments remain confined to the cricket field. The argument was between two individuals, and it should remain within the boundaries of the game, not spill over outside. Many people had various things to say. Some demanded interviews for television ratings, asking me to clarify. But what happens between two people doesn’t always require clarification,” Gambhir explained, reflecting on the incident.
