‘No one can come and walk over my players’ - Gautam Gambhir on his IPL 2023 tussle with Virat Kohli

India's former cricketer and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor, Gautam Gambhir, known for his candid opinions, found himself at the center of a heated on-field altercation during the IPL 2023 clash between LSG and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Lucknow. The incident involved Gambhir, star batter Virat Kohli, and Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq.

Following the game, amidst the customary handshake, tensions escalated between Kohli and ul-Haq.

Gambhir, explaining his actions, remarked to ANI, "As a mentor, no one can come and walk over my players. I have got a very different belief. Till the time the game was on, I had no right to interfere but once the game was over if someone still gets into a heated argument with my players, I have all the right to defend them."

This was not the only confrontation Gambhir found himself in recently. He was involved in a verbal altercation with former Indian teammate and fast bowler S Sreesanth during a Legends League Cricket (LLC) match between India Capitals and Gujarat Giants.

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Syed Kirmani, head of the LLC Code of Conduct and Ethics Committee, declared this altercation a breach of rules.

He affirmed, "Legends League Cricket strives to uphold the spirit of cricket and sportsmanship and will conduct an internal investigation on the violation of the code of conduct. Any misconduct that has occurred both on and off the field including on social media platforms will be dealt with strictly. The code of conduct has clearly states that necessary action will be taken against players that bring disrepute to the league, the spirit of the game and the teams that they are representing. We make our stand very clear and continue to work towards sharing the game with millions of cricketing lovers across the nation and world."

While Sreesanth continued his tirade against Gambhir on social media platforms, the latter has refrained from openly addressing the issue.

The LLC Committee has vowed to conduct a thorough internal investigation, emphasizing the need to maintain the integrity of the game and the league. The potential consequences for any breach of conduct, both on and off the field, remain under consideration.

This latest incident adds to Gambhir's history of being embroiled in on-field conflicts, shedding light on the delicate balance between on-field intensity and upholding the spirit of the game. As the cricketing world awaits the outcome of the LLC investigation, tensions remain high in the aftermath of these altercations.