Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri feels that it is time Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter Virat Kohli and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor Gautam Gambhir so end their long-running feud. Kohli and Gambhir once again came to a head during their team’s IPL 2023 match in Lucknow on Tuesday. The after-match fracas resulted in Kohli and Gambhir both being fined 100 per cent of their match fees.
The fight between Kohli and Gambhir has snow-balled into a massive issue with fans as well as cricketing greats divided on the issue. Shastri believes that both Kohli and Gambhir should sit down and thrash out the matters between them.
“I think the penny will drop in a day or two. And they will realise that this could have been handled a lot better. Both play for the same state and they have played enough cricket. Gautam is a double World Cup winner, and Virat is an icon. Both come from Delhi. I think the best thing would be to sit them both down and put an end to it. Once and for all,” Shastri said on Star Sports.
Virat Kohli or Gautam Gambhir ki fight Twitter k catfish account k liya hui thi _ pic.twitter.com/eucOQ71cXX
— Rahul *__ (@Rahultranic) May 4, 2023
Apart from his on-field altercation with Gambhir, former RCB and Team India skipper Kohli also had heated arguments with Naveen-ul-Haq and Kyle Mayers. Kohli and Gambhir were duly punished by BCCI after they admitted to a breach of IPL’s Code of Conduct. While LSG bowler Naveen lost 50 per cent of his match salary, Gambhir and Kohli were fined 100 per cent of their match fees as theirs was deemed as a Level 2 offence, attracting higher penalties.
Sunil Gavaskar calls for suspension of Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, however, suggested that a fine may not be enough and the players involved could have been suspended for a few games so that such an incident is not repeated on the cricket field.
“So, my point, is do something which will make sure, these things don’t happen again. If it has to you know, like it happened with Harbhajan and Sreesanth 10 years ago, that you have to ask them to maybe step aside for a couple of matches. Make sure you do something that ensures that these things don’t happen and also something that will hurt the team. That’s a stiff one,” Gavaskar said.
