Exclusive: 'Virat wants to win no matter what; Naveen is also a fighter' - Krishnappa Gowtham sheds light on IPL 2023 showdown

Naveen-ul-Haq’s infamous verbal battle with Virat Kohli in IPL 2023 became an instant talk of the town. In the match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Bengaluru), Naveen got into a heated argument with the star India batter and the matter quickly escalated before the umpires intervened. After RCB won the match, LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir was also spotted having an argument with Kohli.

Gambhir also separated his team's Kyle Mayers from Kohli when the two were seen interacting after the game. Eventually Naveen, Gambhir and Kohli had to pay a hefty fee as they were charged guilty for a breach of IPL's Code of Conduct. Krisnappa Gowtham, who was part of the LSG dressing room that day, recently opened up on the infamous saga, noting it to be a normal instance between two fierce players.

“It’s a part and parcel of the game. It happened due to the heat of the moment. Virat being Virat, we all know the passion he has. He wants to win, no matter what. Likewise, Naveen is a fighter. I think these kinds of banters happen in high-pressure games,” Gowtham said in an exclusive chat with CricTracker.

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“That is the beauty of the sport. It lets the emotions out. Sometimes you can control it but sometimes you can’t. When your adrenaline is really high, it’s really high. It was banter and a lot of people talked about it but it was just two top athletes competing with each other and wanting to win the game for their respective teams,” he added

Gautam Gambhir makes sure what is right is right, what is wrong is wrong: Gowtham

Gowtham spent two seasons with Gautam Gambhir at Lucknow Super Giants, before the latter switched to Kolkata Knight Riders' mentorship. Speaking about his experience of sharing the dressing room with the current India coach, Gowtham noted that Gambhir is straightfoward and that he never sugarcoats anything.

“GG bhai is someone who is upfront. He will tell you the way exactly it is, how to prepare yourself for high-pressure games. He knows how to get the best out of the players. The way he talks to a player, the way he motivates.. it’s a different ballgame. He makes sure that everyone is comfortable. The other thing is that he makes sure what is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong. He will also never sugarcoat things. He is straight on your face, whatever it is,” Gowtham said.