‘Bas karo yaar!’ – Naveen-ul-Haq as Barbados Royals troll him with ‘Virat Kohli’ pranks

Naveen ul haq (Twitter)

Caribbean Premier League (CPL) side Barbados Royals shared a hilarious video on their social media handles, touching on Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq and his bitter-sweet relationship with Virat Kohli.

Naveen and Kohli have a storied rivalry, which stemmed from their heated altercation during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 encounter between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow. However, the two cricketers buried the hatchet with a heartwarming hug during India’s ODI World Cup 2023 clash against Afghanistan in Delhi.

Also Read: Afghanistan announce preliminary squad for one-off Test against New Zealand

Ahead of CPL 2024, Barbados Royals’ social media team posted a fun, light-hearted video around the entire saga.

The video starts with Naveen, who will represent the Rovman Powell-led side in the league, checking his phone where he sees reels of popular YouTuber IShowSpeed showing his love for Kohli. The right-arm pacer locks his phone while sporting a gloomy expression. Then, he gets and starts walking before a paper cutting on the wall, with ‘Ben Stokes’ written on it, grabs his attention. The England Test captain’s name is associated with Kohli as it sounds like an Indian expletive which the latter uses every now and then on the field.

Naveen could be seen shaking his head upon seeing the paper cutting as he continues his walk. In the end, he calls the receptionist from his hotel room and asks on what channel he can watch the CPL. “Channel No. 18” is the reply he gets. For the unversed, Kohli wears No. 18 on his jersey.

Also Read: CPL 2024: Schedule, Squads, Live Streaming, Broadcasters & All you need to know

Naveen disconnects the phone and says, “Bas karo yaar, ab kuch to naya dhoondo [Stop it guys, now find something new].”

CPL 2024 gets underway on Friday, August 30, as the new team – Antigua and Barbuda Falcons take on St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua. Guyana Amazon Warriors are the defending champions, as they defeated Trinbago Knight Riders last year in the finals by nine wickets. The Royals will start their campaign on Sunday, September 1, against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.