The highly publicized Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL 2023 match at Ekana Stadium saw three separate yet related incidents involving Virat Kohli, Amit Mishra, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Gautam Gambhir. The unsettling scenes created unrest amongst both fans and experts alike, leading to a hefty punishment - with Kohli and Gambhir forfeiting their full match fee, while Naveen was fined 50%. Even cricket greats such as Sunil Gavaskar felt the need for a sterner form of justice, by recommending extra disciplinary measures like suspension.

In the IPL match between RCB and LSG, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli had a heated argument

Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir fought during the RCB vs LSG IPL match

He was ultra-aggressive throughout the LSG chase, but Naveen-ul-Haq retaliated in the 17th over in some way. As the on-field umpires and Amit Mishra tried to broker peace, Kohli kept going at the Afghanistan pacer, who just stared at him in response. Naveen, however, showed no sign of backing away when the teams lined up to shake hands. He grabbed Kohli's hand and pushed him as the verbal battle raged.

A few seconds later, LSG opener Kyle Mayers was seen having a word with Kohli. Gambhir, LSG's mentor, came to take Mayers away from Kohli.

Kohli and Gambhir appeared to have gone in different directions, but the latter suddenly sprang into action. He charged toward the former RCB skipper aggressively, pushing the LSG cricketers away who tried to stop him. Kohli turned back and began heading towards Gambhir. When the situation escalated, LSG's Amit Mishra separated the two, putting his hand on Gambhir's shoulder and having a word with him.

In Lucknow on Monday night, an eyewitness gave PTI a lowdown of events from inside one of the team dugouts.

The television showed Mayers and Virat walking together after the match. Mayers asked Kohli why he was constantly abusing them, and Virat, in turn, asked why Mayers was 'staring' at him. Virat had repeatedly abused Naveen (ul-Haq), the No. 10 batter, according to (Amit) Mishra's complaint to the umpire.

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He said Gautam pulled Mayers and told him not to engage in a conversation after Virat commented. "The heated exchange that followed seemed juvenile," he said.

As Gautam asked 'Kya bol raha hain bol?' (What were you saying?) Virat responded 'Maine aapko kuch bola hi Nahin, aap kyon ghus rahein ho' (Why are you coming in between me and you?).

It is like abusing my family to abuse my player, and Virat's reply was, "Toh aap apne family ko sambhal ke rakhiye". (Then take care of your family).

Before they were separated, Gambhir said, "Toh ab tu mujhe sikhayega...' (So now I have to learn from you...)." The eyewitness said the exchange was tense, but seemed juvenile on both sides.

When Kolkata Knight Riders played Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2013, the two nearly came to blows.

Kohli was then the superstar-in-the-making, and Gambhir, out of the Indian team, was a shrewd captain.

In 2023, Gambhir remains a firebrand who is also a TV pundit and mentor for a franchise.

In spirit, Kohli remains the captain of RCB, but on paper, Faf du Plessis is.

"It's a complicated relationship between the two. Gautam is not a bad person but he's not an easy person to deal with. He had no business waving that finger at Chinnaswamy, which worships Virat.

He knows Gautam has been a staunch critic of his captaincy, and even he won't back down," said a former India player who shared the dressing room with both.

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