Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has been fined for the second time in the current Indian Premier League (IPL) season due to a post-match altercation with former teammate and now Lucknow Super Giants team mentor, Gautam Gambhir.
The heated exchanges occurred during a high-stakes match between Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants.
During the match, Kohli was in a tense confrontation with Afghan bowler Naveen ul Haq, which required intervention from opposing team batsman Amit Mishra to restrain Kohli. The match ultimately resulted in an 18-run victory for Bangalore, but tensions escalated further after the game.
Lucknow’s Kyle Mayers had to be led away from a verbal exchange with Kohli. Despite the efforts of other players, Gambhir and Kohli engaged in a shouting match before Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis stepped in to defuse the situation. It’s worth noting that Gambhir and Kohli were part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning team and had a similar on-field altercation during a 2013 IPL match.
As a result of the incident, the IPL fined Kohli and Gambhir their entire match fees, while Naveen ul Haq was fined 50% of his fee for violating the league’s code of conduct.
Kohli, a celebrated cricketer known as “King Kohli,” has never won an IPL title with the Royal Challengers Bangalore, despite his impressive record as a batsman. The 34-year-old stepped down as captain of the RCB at the end of the 2021 season and has since struggled with his batting form, ultimately losing the Indian captaincy.
During this difficult period, Kohli has been open about his mental health struggles and how they affected his personal life. He admitted to being “snappy” with his wife, Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, and has had several altercations with opposing players throughout his career.
