The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 game between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Monday was a witness to an ugly face-off between Virat Kohli of the RCB and LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir.

It is not clear as to what instigated both the players to get into a heated argument, but right throughout the match Kohli could be seen quite animated whenever an LSG batter was getting dismissed. 

At the end of the game, when the players were shaking hands LSG bowler Naveen-ul-Haq and Kohli were seen exchanging words and RCB’s Glenn Mexwell separated them.

Soon Gambhir intervened and pulled away Mayers from a chat with Kohli. Moments later, Gambhir was seen charging towards Kohli even as LSG players, including the injured captain KL Rahul tried to stop him.

Gambhir looked more aggressive and was repeatedly held back from charging towards Kohli by the LSG players and support staff.  The incident between the players took place after they had shaken hands at the end of the game,reported PTI.

Meanwhile, the BCCI on Tuesday fined both Kohli and Gambhir 100 per cent of their match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct.

Later Virat Kohli took to his Instagram page say that the entire thing shown and said in the media is “not a fact”

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth,” posted Virat Kohli in his Instagram story referring to the quote attributed to Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.

Kohli and Gambhir are former India team-mates and have played together for the Delhi state team but they have had a history of face-offs.

The last time when LSG and RCB clashed in Bengaluru in an IPL 2023 game, Gambhir had gestured towards the Bengaluru crowd with a ‘shut up’ sign.

They were also involved in a face-off 10 years ago in the IPL during RCB’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders in Bengaluru.