Match number 43 of the IPL 2023 saw Royal Challengers Bangalore secure a memorable victory over the Lucknow Super Giants, who previously defeated them when they had locked horns with each other at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. But more than the cricket on display, the match caught more attention when Delhi-born cricketers Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir were seen involved in a verbal spat against each other post-match.
Meanwhile, former England cricketer Graeme Swann has come up with a reaction to the feud and said that he feels that with the personality that Gautam Gambhir has, he was never going to back down from a fight against Virat Kohli.
“Gautam is never going to back down to Virat.
If it spills off the field and includes profanity, it is improper. As long as there are handshakes after the game and it has not created a negative image on the screen, then I’m all for their passion,” Swann was quoted as saying by Cricket Country.
Additionally, the 44-year-old spinner stated that Virat is a passionate player. He also talked about how much Virat Kohli’s demeanor intimidates players and that he likes to play his cricket in an aggressive manner.
“You should never try to dilute the players so much that they do not wear their hearts on their sleeves,” said Swann. “One of the reasons why Virat Kohli is known as ‘Virat Kohli’ is because he is so devoted to cricket. He’s so in your face when he’s playing and he intimidates a lot of athletes. Some may think he’s going too far. “They are enormous characters who grew up and played together,” Swann added.
It all started when Kohli and Naveen ul Haq got into a disagreement during LSG’s innings, and it continued during their handshake following the game. After that, Kyle Mayers was seen talking to Virat Kohli when Gambhir intervened and dragged Mayers away before getting into a brawl with Virat Kohli.