What happened between Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli in the IPL, it was painful for me: Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev. (Photo by PAUL CROCK/AFP/Getty Images)

Former India skipper Kapil Dev offered a piece of advice to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) while pointing out the altercation between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir during the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). Kohli got into a verbal spat with pacer Naveen-ul-Haq during the IPL 2023 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants in May. They had another heated exchange during the customary handshake after the end of the game.

Surprisingly, the issue escalated when LSG mentor Gambhir also got engaged in the spat. The 64-year-old urged the BCCI to develop players to be decent citizens. He went on to say that the fight did not reflect well on the governing body and was a ‘painful’ one to behold.

“They (BCCI) have to groom players to be good citizens also. What happened between Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli in the IPL, it was painful for me,” Kapil said.

Kapil Dev went on to say that he was stunned by Kohli and Gambhir’s on-field behaviour, as they are his two most important people. The legendary 1983 World Cup winner even used Pele and Don Bradman as examples of how athletes lose their wits all the time.

Sportsmen do lose their mind, from Pelé to Don Bradman to all people: Dev

“My two most important people―Virat Kohli, one of the top batters in the world; Gambhir is now member of Parliament―how can they behave in such a manner? But sportsmen do lose their mind, from Pelé to Don Bradman to all people,” the former world champion further added during an interview with The Week.

For the uninitiated, the BCCI fined both Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir 100% of their match fees for that IPL match. Meanwhile, Afghanistan bowler Naveen-ul-Haq has been fined 50% of his match fee.

In contrast, Kohli and Gautam Gambhir’s furious clash during the IPL 2023 will be remembered as one of the most controversial incidents. Notably, the two Indian cricketers had previously exchanged heated arguments in 2013, when they first met in the IPL.