Watch: During India and Afghanistan’s 2023 World Cup clash in Delhi on October 11, Virat Kohli requested the local crowd to stop booing Naveen-ul-Haq.
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Thanks to a terrific display of fast bowling from Jasprit Bumrah (4-39), India restricted Afghanistan to 272-8. Rohit Sharma (131 in 84 balls), Ishan Kishan (47 in 47), Virat Kohli (55 not out in 56), and Shreyas Iyer (25 not out in 23) then helped India win by eight wickets in 35 overs.
The Indian innings was studded with a plethora of records (most of them by Rohit), 27 fours, and eight sixes – and a heartwarming gesture.
In IPL 2023, the Royal Challengers Bangalore played a heated encounter against the Lucknow Super Giants at Bengaluru. During the match, Kohli had a tussle with Naveen-ul-Haq, who played for Afghanistan today.
KL Rahul, who led Lucknow that day, was playing today as well, for India, while Lucknow mentor Gautam Gambhir was commentating here.
The cricketers might have left the matter behind them, but the fans had kept the fire going. When Afghanistan fielded, the crowd had a go at Naveen. The fact that Kohli hails from Delhi perhaps added to the sentiments.
Kohli himself intervened at this point, requesting the crowd to calm down. At the Kia Oval during the 2019 World Cup, he had similarly prevented the crowd to stop booing Steve Smith.
The crowd obliged. Kohli and Naveen shook hands, and the match continued. Naveen conceded 31 from five wicketless overs.
“He is a nice guy, he’s a good player. We just shook hands and just dusted whatever was done in the IPL. It was always on the ground, nothing outside. People make it big, the media – they want this stuff for their followers,” Naveen told the media after the match.
Watch Virat Kohli prevent the Delhi crowd from booing Naveen-ul-Haq:
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