Another ugly face-off between Kohli and Gambhir during IPL game, both fined 100% match fees
Lucknow (PTI): Star India batter Virat Kohli and former opener Gautam Gambhir added another chapter to their bitter rivalry as they got involved in an ugly face-off after the Indian Premier League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants here.
Kohli, one of RCB's batting mainstays, and Gambhir, the LSG mentor, were seen having a heated argument after the Bengaluru-based side won the match by 18 runs on Monday night.
Both were on Tuesday fined 100 per cent of their match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct.
The brief interaction with Kohli, who seemed extra animated throughout the fielding innings of RCB, with LSG opener Kyle Mayers seemed to have triggered the altercation.
While the players were shaking hands after the match, LSG bowler Naveen-ul-Haq and Kohli were seen exchanging words and RCB's Glenn Mexwell separated them.
This was followed by Gambhir pulling away Mayers from a chat with Kohli.
Just after that, Gambhir was seen charging towards Kohli even as LSG players, including the injured captain KL Rahul, restraining him. But eventually, Kohli and Gambhir were involved in a heated argument with players from both sides surrounding them.
Gambhir looked the more animated of the two and was repeatedly held back from charging towards Kohli by the LSG players and support staff. This was after the two had shaken hands.
Initially, Kohli was seen holding Gambhir's shoulder, but as the heated exchange continued, veteran spinner Amit Mishra, RCB captain Faf du Plessis and LSG assistant coach Vijay Dahiya -- also hailing from Delhi -- stepped in to separate the duo.
After the altercation, Kohli was also seen speaking to LSG captain Rahul.
Kohli and Gambhir are former India team-mates and have played together for the Delhi state team but they have had a history of face-offs.
The last time when LSG and RCB clashed in Bengaluru in an IPL 2023 game, Gambhir had gestured towards the Bengaluru crowd with a 'shut up' sign.
They were also involved in a face-off 10 years ago in the IPL during RCB's match against Kolkata Knight Riders in Bengaluru.
The IPL said in a statement that both Kohli and Gambhir admitted to breach of IPL Code of Conduct rules. LSG bowler Naveen-ul-Haq was also fined 50 per cent of his match fee.
"LSG Mentor Gautam Gambhir has been fined 100% of his match fee for breaching IPL Code of Conduct during IPL 2023 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Mr Gambhir admitted to the Level 2 offence under Article 2.21 of IPL Code of Conduct," the statement said.
"RCB batter Virat Kohli has been fined 100 per cent of his match fee for breaching IPL Code of Conduct during IPL 2023 match against LSG. Mr Kohli admitted to the Level 2 offence under Article 2.21 of IPL Code of Conduct.
"LSG bowler Naveen-ul-Haq has been fined 50 per cent of his match fees for breaching IPL Code of Conduct during IPL 2023 match against RCB. Mr Naveen-ul-Haq admitted to the Level 1 offence under Article 2.21 of IPL Code of Conduct."
Ohh my God. Not good scenes after the post.
— Farrago Abdullah Parody (@abdullah_0mar) May 1, 2023
Gautam Gambhir vs Virat Kohli. Very disappointed to see Gambhir like this.#LSGvsRCB pic.twitter.com/GcTFllOu46
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Skipper Curran, bowlers lead PBKS to a five-wicket win over RR
Guwahati, May 15: Skipper Sam Curran played the lead act hitting a well-paced fifty and taking two wickets, as Punjab Kings consigned Rajasthan Royals to a five-wicket defeat in their IPL match here on Wednesday.
The target was a mere 145, but Kings made heavy weather of it on a sluggish track here but Curran (63 not out, 41b, 5x4, 3x6) had a calm head and skills to lift them to their fifth win of the season. PBKS made 145/5 in 18.5 overs.
The Englishman received good support from Jitesh Sharma (22, 20b) as the pair added 63 runs in a fluent fifth wicket partnership.
For Royals, it was their fourth defeat on the trot, but they remained second on the table with 16 points with a qualification to the playoffs to boot with.
The Kings’ chase began on a shaky note as they lost Prabhsimran Singh in the first over itself to Trent Boult.
But bigger jolts were in store as an impressive Avesh Khan (2/28) scalped two wickets in the fifth over.
The right-arm pacer first plucked the important wicket of Rilee Rossouw, who played some strong shots in his 13-ball 22, and then jettisoned in-form Shashank Singh for a two-ball naught.
Shashank failed to connect a fuller, straighter one from Avesh while attempting a flick, and the 141 kmph delivery thudded on his bat. Shashank did not even bother to use DRS as he walked away.
Punjab gained some ground through the alliance between Curran and Jitesh, who smoked R Ashwin for two sixes.
Curran too gave a dose of punishment to the veteran offie, lofting him for a wonderful six over extra cover.
But the blossoming stand was snapped by Yuzvendra Chahal (2/31), leaving PBKS at 111 for five in the 16th over.
However, Curran and Ashutosh Sharma (17 not out, 11 balls) knocked off the remaining runs without further drama.
Earlier, despite a well-tuned 48 from local hero Riyan Parag, RR struggled against an array of accurate bowlers on a rather slow pitch, meandering to a sub-par 144 for nine.
R Ashwin (28, 19b, 3x4, 1x6) and Parag (48, 34, 6x4) tried to accelerate during their 50-run stand for the fourth wicket but it could only bring in a temporary momentum for RR.
In fact, lethargy had set in very early in the Rajasthan innings after the early loss of Jaiswal, who chopped a Curran (2/24) delivery back on to his stumps.
Sanju Samson (18), who went past 500-run in a season for the first time in his IPL career, and Tom-Kohler Cadmore (18, 23b) stitched 36 runs for the second wicket but took six overs for it.
But with Curran and Arshdeep finding a hint of swing and maintaining a good line, scoring was not an easy proposition for the RR batters.
Eventually, Samson, who tried a hopping cut off pacer Nathan Ellis, gave a simple catch to Rahul Chahar at point in the seventh over.
Cadmore too returned to the dugout in the next over, as his almighty heave off leg-spinner Chahar (2/26) could not progress beyond Jitesh in the deep.
Those twin dismissals actually paved the way for the best phase in the Royals’ innings as Ashwin and Parag pressed their foot on the right pedal.
Ashwin displayed his batting skills, smashing Chahar for 17 runs in the 12th over that included a sequence of 6, 4, 4 and the first four was a stunning reverse scoop over backward point.
But he could not further extend his innings, lofting Arshdeep to Shashank.
Parag, usually a free-flowing batter, had to curb his flair in front of a hugely adoring home crowd because of the regular fall of wickets at the other end.
But a late cut off Curran that sped to third man stood as a testament of his ability and timing as he also moved past the 500-run mark for the season, before getting trapped in front of the wicket by Harshal Patel.
However, apart from conquering those little peaks the RR batters failed to slip into the top gear consistently.
