Naveen-ul-Haq claims Virat Kohli physically provoked him during ugly spat

Afghanistan speedster Naveen-ul-Haq has brought fresh allegations on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star batsman Virat Kohli, claiming that he was physically provoked which led to an ugly spat between the two during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.

It was during the 18th over of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) chase against RCB during an IPL 2023 match in which Kohli and Naveen were involved in a heated exchange. However, the Afghanistan pacer revealed that tempers flared after the match, accusing Virat of triggering the fight.

“Kohli should not have said all those things during the match and after it. I didn’t start the fight. After the match, when we were shaking hands, Kohli started the fight. I just want to say one thing I generally don’t sledge anyone, and even if I do it I would say it to the batters only when I am bowling because I am a bowler. In that match, I didn’t utter a single word. I didn’t sledge anyone,” said Haq during an interview.

“Players who were there, they know how I dealt with the situation. I never lost my temper, when I was batting or after the match. What I did after the match can be seen by everyone. I was just shaking hands and then Kohli grabbed my hand forcefully and I am also a human being and I reacted,” he added.