Virat Kohli defends himself in letter to BCCI after altercation with LSG players in IPL - Reports

Virat Kohli denies wrongdoing in IPL altercation against LSG players and mentor, Writes a letter to the BCCI officials.

After an altercation during the Indian Premier League 2023 match in Lucknow on May 1, former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli wrote a letter to BCCI officials claiming that he did not say anything wrong to Lucknow Super Giants mentor Gautam Gambhir and pacer Naveen-ul-Haq. The incident involved Kohli, Gambhir, Amit Mishra, and Naveen, and resulted in both Virat Kohli and Gambhir being fined 100% of their match fees for the Level 2 offense and violating Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct. Meanwhile, Afghanistan fast-bowler Naveen-ul-Haq was fined 50% of his match fees. The unpleasant clash between the two Indian cricketers garnered a lot of attention.

Virat Kohli claims innocence in on-field altercation and expresses disappointment at match fee deduction

According to a report by the Hindi daily Dainik Jagran, Virat Kohli, the former captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore, has written to several BCCI officials explaining his stance on the on-field altercation during the IPL 2023 match in Lucknow. Kohli expressed his disappointment at being fined 100% of his match fee, despite RCB's policy of not deducting match fees for on-field offences. He asserted that he did not say anything wrong to the Lucknow Super Giants players and mentor during the altercation.

During the match, Kohli was seen being aggressive in his celebration and was charged up against LSG players Naveen-ul-Haq and Kyle Mayers. Witnesses claim that Kohli was hostile towards Naveen and Amit Mishra, who was batting with the Afghan cricketer towards the end of LSG's chase. Mishra also complained to the umpires about Kohli's behaviour.

According to reports, Kohli and Naveen had an altercation during and after the match, which allegedly started due to Mohammed Siraj's bouncers and throws aimed at Naveen. However, Kohli denied instructing Siraj to hit Naveen, clarifying that he only asked him to bowl bouncers. Following the game, Kohli and Naveen had a heated exchange during the handshake, and Kohli later complained about the pacer's aggressive behavior. During a conversation with Mayers, Gambhir intervened and took the West Indies cricketer away. Kohli then asked Gambhir to stay out of the matter, to which the LSG mentor replied that his players were like his family, and he would not tolerate anyone abusing them. The incident has garnered widespread attention, with many videos and images of the altercation circulating on social media.