The anticipated rematch between Virat Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq did not materialize as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) faced elimination from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 following a defeat against defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT).
Despite Kohli’s remarkable seventh IPL century, RCB found themselves on the losing side as Shubman Gill also reached the three-figure mark. Gill’s century propelled GT to a commanding six-wicket victory, marking the end of RCB’s campaign in the tournament.
Subsequently, a controversial Instagram story by Naveen, the Lucknow Super Giants pacer, sparked outrage among Kohli’s fans. This incident followed their well-known altercation during the RCB vs. LSG match on May 1 during the league stage of the IPL 2023 season.
The Instagram meme shared by Naveen-ul-Haq after Royal Challengers Bangalore’s elimination from the playoffs was perceived by many fans as an intentional mockery aimed at Virat Kohli.
The fact that Naveen’s team, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), managed to qualify for the playoffs while RCB did not added fuel to the controversy. This incident further fueled the sentiments of fans, who felt that Naveen’s post was a deliberate attempt to taunt Kohli and his team for their inability to secure a spot in the playoffs.
Naveen Ul Haq's Instagram story. pic.twitter.com/J53mHrfQ4o
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 21, 2023Advertisement
The incident sparked discussions and garnered significant attention among fans and followers of the IPL.
In the match, Shubman Gill played a sensational unbeaten innings of 104 runs, overshadowing Virat Kohli’s remarkable century, as the defending champions Gujarat Titans eliminated Royal Challengers Bangalore from the IPL on Sunday.
The outcome of the match also paved the way for the five-time champions Mumbai Indians to secure the fourth and final playoff spot. Mumbai Indians achieved this by convincingly defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in the first match of the day.
