Just a few moments ago, Naveen and Virat engaged in a friendly exchange. They clasped hands and exchanged a friendly pat on the back, with Naveen taking the initiative. Both of them wore warm smiles, showing their camaraderie.
Earlier, the prospect of facing India, particularly in Virat Kohli’s home ground, was always going to be a daunting challenge for Afghanistan’s young pacer, Naveen-ul-Haq. As anticipated, the packed Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi seized every opportunity to remind Naveen that he wasn’t just pitted against Kohli and the Indian cricket team but against the entire stadium.
Naveen seemed prepared for this reception, at least that’s what his expressions suggested on Wednesday. His first encounter with Kohli since their infamous on-field altercation during IPL 2023 had injected an unprecedented level of excitement into the India vs. Afghanistan World Cup 2023 match, and thanks to the spirited Delhi crowd, no one needed a reminder of that fact.
Naveen received his first indication of what lay ahead for him early on Thursday. While the Afghanistan team was still warming up, the stadium was not yet even half full, but those present wasted no time in making Naveen’s day difficult as soon as they spotted him. The crowd erupted in chants of “Kohli, Kohli” as Naveen went about his fielding drills.
The one silver lining for Naveen might have been Afghanistan’s decision to bat first after winning the toss. However, the respite from the “Kohli” chants lasted only for about three hours. Towards the end of the Afghanistan innings, the Afghanistan batter walked out to bat at No. 10 amidst thunderous “Kohli, Kohli” chants.
Virat Kohli 🤝 Naveen#INDvsAFG pic.twitter.com/cBdRpjscky
— Nikkamma (@proudindian088) October 11, 2023
Kohli 🤝 Naveen.#INDvsAFG #AFGvIND #WorldCup2023 pic.twitter.com/zYtK38M9Ll
— 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭 (@Team_Sharon_) October 11, 2023
The impact of these chants was unmistakable and even reached the commentary box. Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri remarked, “Naveen Ul Haq comes out to bat, and the shouts of ‘Kohli, Kohli’ echo around. I wonder why… No prizes for guessing.”
Massive chants of 'Kohli, Kohli' as Naveen Ul Haq comes to bat.#ViratKohli𓃵 #INDvAFG pic.twitter.com/F98QGcp7d7
— Shreyaa (@Shreya_vk18) October 11, 2023
As fate would have it, Naveen faced his first ball with a flick off his pads, and the ball was fielded by Kohli at fine leg. Kohli seemed visibly unpleased with wicketkeeper Rahul for failing to cleanly collect his throw.