Virat Kohli's feud with Naveen-ul-Haq spills over into social media after BCCI slaps heavy fines

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) played out a match that was low on scores but high on drama in the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday. Virat Kohli, who was at the centre of it all, clashed with LSG's Naveen-ul-Haq and seemed to have exchanged some words with Amit Mishra before facing off with Lucknow's team mentor Gautam Gambhir.

There were little exchanges between the two parties throughout the latter stages of the game and after it, with Kohli being heard in a video posted by RCB saying: "If you can give it, you've got to take it back as well. Otherwise don't give it".

The row began during the end of Lucknow's innings, in the 17th over, when Kohli was seen having a lengthy and heated chat with the on-field umpires who looked to calm the RCB star down. An over later, the entire footage was played by the broadcasters where Kohli seemed to have said something which led to a reaction from Naveen as he charged towards him. Kohli verbally retaliated and also showed his shoe before pointing at Naveen. It was not clear what Kohli was trying to say.

Later on Monday night, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) slapped fines on Kohli, Naveen and Gambhir but, as it turns out, that is not the end of the row. Both Kohli and Naveen on Tuesday have posted rather cryptic messages on their Instagram stories. Kohli posted a message that has been attributed to Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor. "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth," the message on his Instagram story states. Meanwhile, Naveen wrote: "You get what you deserve that's how it should be and that's how it goes."

Having said that, it is interesting to note that the quote Kohli used, is not exactly from Marcus Aurelius, the author mentioned in his story. Kohli and Gambhir were fined 100% of their match fees after they were found guilty of a Level 2 offence while Naveen-ul-Haq lost 50% of his match fees for his Level 1 offence.

Gambhir, Kohli and Naveen admitted to their respective offences and accepted the sanctions. "Lucknow Super Giants’ Mentor Gautam Gambhir has been fined 100 per cent of his match fee for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Gambhir admitted to the Level 2 offence under Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct.

"Royal Challengers Bangalore batter Virat Kohli has been fined 100 per cent of his match fee for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match against Lucknow Super Giants. Kohli admitted to the Level 2 offence under Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct," IPL said in a release late on Monday night.