In a thrilling display of cricketing excellence, Indian batters showcased their dominance over Afghanistan’s bowling unit as India chased down 273 with 15 overs to spare in a group-stage fixture at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday (October 11). However, amidst the intense competition, fans were treated to a heartwarming and unexpected moment on the field. Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli shared a warm hug with Afghanistan’s bowler, Naveen-ul-Haq, during the match.

What made this encounter especially intriguing was the backstory. Notably, during the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kohli and Naveen were involved in a verbal spat. The video capturing their exchange had circulated widely on the internet, making headlines at the time during a match between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Now, the sportsmanship spirit was on full display as Virat Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq put aside their differences to share a warm hug as their respective sides locked horns at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

Check out the video and some of the reactions here:

Virat Kohli and Naveen ul haq shaking hand with each other. We weren’t ready for this! 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/CLpGZLOxu9

— Sayam Ahmad (@sayam_ahmad_) October 11, 2023

Bowler – Naveen UL Haq
Batsman – Virat Kohli
Commentator – Gautam Gambhir talking about Virat Kohli and Naveen Ul Haq #INDvsAFG
ICT fans be like pic.twitter.com/Cc51lYBG9E

— ICT Fan (@Delphy06) October 11, 2023

Virat Kohli 🤝 Naveen Ul Haq.

This is why cricket is more than a game. pic.twitter.com/5n3QQevYXy

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 11, 2023

Talking about the match, Afghanistan did put on 272/8 in their 50 overs but on a batters’ paradise that wasn’t enough. India, riding on captain Rohit Sharma’s quickfire 131 off 84, won the match by 8 wickets. Virat Kohli too scored an unbeaten 55, finishing off the game with a boundary. Shreyas Iyer was not out on 25 off 23 while Ishan Kishan also chipped with 47 off 47. The dominant win has taken India to the number two position on the points table.