During the ongoing India vs Afghanistan World Cup 2023 match in Delhi, the crowd’s ‘Kohli, Kohli’ chants welcomed Naveen-ul-Haq to the crease, reigniting the IPL controversy with India’s batter Virat Kohli.
In the ongoing 2023 World Cup clash between India and Afghanistan, Naveen-ul-Haq’s entrance to the crease was met with resounding ‘Kohli, Kohli’ chants from the Delhi crowd at Arun Jaitley Stadium, resurrecting a previous IPL feud with Indian cricketer Virat Kohli.
Their rivalry stemmed from a heated exchange during an IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giant, in which Naveen, LSG’s batting coach Gautam Gambhir, and Kohli engaged in a verbal spat. RCB won the match by 18 runs, but the controversy extended to cryptic social media posts by players.
When Naveen on strike 😭😭, Music to my ears 💘 pic.twitter.com/GypDgN7L5F
— A. (@PerthClassic) October 11, 2023
A viral video capturing spectators teasing the Afghanistan cricketer generated significant social media buzz, and Kohli’s supporters didn’t hold back in expressing their disapproval of Naveen’s actions both on and off the field.
Naveen ul Haq comes to bat and Entire packed Delhi crowddd goess KOHLIII KOHLIII….
— Pranjal (@Pranjal_one8) October 11, 2023
Insaneeee🔥 pic.twitter.com/SW3eyQgtXA
On the match front, Afghanistan posted a commendable total of 272 runs, marking their second-highest score in World Cup history. Opting to bat after winning the toss, openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran had a decent start.
However, Afghanistan faced a rough patch after the powerplay, losing both Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah in quick succession. Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai then came together to rebuild the Afghan innings.
Thanks to Omarzai’s 64 and Shahidi’s 80, Afghanistan regained momentum. Yet, their subsequent batters struggled to maintain the pace, resulting in a somewhat lower total on the scoreboard.
For India, Jasprit Bumrah delivered his career-best World Cup performance with figures of 4/39, while Hardik Pandya clinched two wickets, one of which ended a crucial 121-run partnership for Afghanistan. On the flip side, Mohammed Siraj had a challenging innings, remaining wicketless and conceding 76 runs in his nine overs.
Last Updated on October 11, 2023
Senior Sports Copywriter
