The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 witnessed a heated exchange between Gautam Gambhir, the coach of Lucknow Super Giants, and Virat Kohli, the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore, after their match on Monday. The altercation reportedly started with an argument between Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq and Kohli during the game, which Gambhir joined in after RCB’s victory in the encounter. The on-field spat led to the involvement of the coaches, which has drawn criticism from former England captain Michael Vaughan. Vaughan stated that coaches should not get involved in such altercations, and if there is an argument between two players, they need to sort it out themselves. Coaches should focus on strategies and stay in the dugout or dressing room, he added.
The IPL has fined both Kohli and Gambhir for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. Gambhir has been fined 100% of his match fee for admitting to the Level 2 offense under Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct, while Kohli has also been fined 100% of his match fee for admitting to the Level 2 offense under Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct. LSG bowler Naveen-ul-Haq has been fined 50% of his match fee for admitting to the Level 1 offense under Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct.
Kohli and Gambhir have a history of face-offs, with the last one being ten years ago in the IPL during RCB’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders in Bengaluru. Gambhir had gestured towards the Bengaluru crowd with a ‘shut up’ sign during their clash in Bengaluru in IPL 2023. After Monday’s incident, Yuvraj Singh, the former Indian cricketer, came up with a humorous suggestion for a soft drink brand to sign Kohli and Gambhir for promotion. Yuvraj Singh tweeted, “I think #Sprite should sign #Gauti and #Cheeku for their campaign #ThandRakh what say, guys? @GautamGambhir @imVkohli @Sprite.”
The IPL 2023 continues to witness high-intensity matches with on-field confrontations, but coaches getting involved in such altercations has drawn criticism from cricket experts.