‘Virat Kohli did not like Gambhir’s gesture and abused… Why do people respect Sachin Tendulkar?’: Amit Mishra reveals

Gautam Gambhir buried the hatchet with Virat Kohli over their infamous spat in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and the former India cricketer has now been appointed as the new head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team. However, ahead of his first assignment in the new role, which begins on July 27 with the tour of Sri Lanka, veteran India cricketer Amit Mishra made a fresh revelation on that ugly, infamous fight between Kohli and Gambhir during the IPL 2023 match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Speaking to Shubhbankar Mishra on his YouTube show ‘Unplugged’, Amit revealed that the fight began after Gambhir, then the mentor of LSG, made a finger-on-the-lips gesture at the crowd after the team beat RCB in Bengaluru earlier in April that season. While Gambhir’s act was simply aimed at the home crowd, who had gone berserk after the match result, Amit felt that Kohli disliked it and returned the favour by abusing LSG players during the reverse fixture in Lucknow in May.

“It all started in Bengaluru where we (LSG) won the game and Gambhir expressed his aggression. The public was going mad so Gautam gestured them to keep quiet. Probably Virat Kohli didn’t like that. We thought the matter ended with the game but not for Kohli,” Mishra said. “He started abusing our players (in the LSG vs RCB rematch in Lucknow). He didn’t have any grudges with Kyle Myers but he abused him as well. Naveen-ul-Haq was bowling, he would abuse him too. Bohot cheezein avoid ho sakti thi but Virat Kohli ne nahi ki (a lot of things would have been avoided but Kohli chose not to).”

The 41-year-old opened up on Kohli’s on-field spat with Naveen-ul-Haq when LSG were batting. Amit revealed that while he walked towards Kohli to calm him down, the latter told him to explain the same to Naveen.

“When I was batting with Naveen, I asked Kohli, ‘Who are you even talking to He’s just a youngster and not even close to your stature. Whatever happened has happened.’ He answered back, saying, “You make him understand that, not me,” Amit added.

The veteran India leg-spinner further revealed that Gambhir only intervened after Kohli continued his verbal attacks at Naveen even after the match ended with RCB winning the game.

“But the problem began after the game. He (Kohli) started abusing him again during the customary handshakes. That’s when Gambhir intervened, questioning why you are starting it again when the game had ended, and you guys had won. I moved Gambhir away, but Naveen later came to the dressing room and said that Kohli had started abusing again,” he added.

Amit said that the reasons why greats like Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni are respected is because they treat their juniors as equals – with love and respect. He then narrated an incident of how former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee started respecting Sachin after he hit him with a beamer during a bilateral series.

“Why do people still respect Sachin Tendulkar or MS Dhoni? It is because they respect and love the junior players. You can be aggressive, but this is not done. I don’t know if you remember, but during a series against Australia, Brett Lee bowled a beamer that hit him on the shoulders. Sachin was very angry but only said, ‘It’s okay.’ After that, Lee started respecting him because, from what I heard, he had aimed at hitting him in his wrist,” he said.