Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli and Afghanistan pacer Naveen Ul Haq, who had a heated altercation during the IPL earlier this year, buried the hatchet and made amends during their World Cup game in Delhi on Wednesday. The incident took place during Lucknow Super Giants’ tense chase against Royal Challengers Bangalore when Naveen came to bat. The altercation escalated during the post-match handshake, with K L Rahul having to intervene and Gautam Gambhir expressing his anger on the field.
However, during India’s chase of 273 in the World Cup match, the two players seemed to have put the past behind them and engaged in a lighter moment. Naveen, in an interview with PTI, stated that it was all drama within the boundaries and Kohli is a nice person and a good player. They shook hands and hugged to show that they have moved on from the incident.
Naveen, who is only 24 years old and has played nine ODIs, revealed his plans to retire from the format after the World Cup. He explained that many international bowlers would opt out of ODI cricket due to the lack of balance between bat and ball. Despite his wish to play more ODI cricket, Naveen acknowledged the current circumstances.
In conclusion, the spat between Virat Kohli and Naveen Ul Haq during the IPL seems to be a thing of the past as they displayed sportsmanship during their World Cup match. Naveen, while acknowledging the controversial incident, plans to retire from ODIs after the tournament.