'I don’t sledge someone upfront' - Naveen-ul-Haq's recent claim echoes heated exchange with Virat Kohli

Naveen-ul-Haq (Source: Twitter)

Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 witnessed an ugly altercation between Virat Kohli and Naveen-ul-Haq during the match between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) earlier this month. The former RCB captain and LSG pacer started the proceedings in the second innings, and things heated up when Gautam Gambhir got involved following his side's 18-run loss.

The Indian Cricket Board took strict action against three of them for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. Kohli and LSG mentor Gambhir were fined 100% of their match fees after being found guilty of a Level 2 offence, while Naveen lost 50% of his match fee for a Level 1 offence. However, things didn't seem to end even after that, as Naveen and Kohli have been actively posting cryptic Instagram stories ever since, which fans speculated were aimed at each other.

Amidst all this, the Lucknow-based franchise posted a video of a conversation between their pacers Naveen and Avesh Khan, where the former took the internet by storm with another statement mirroring the controversial incident with Kohli. The Indian right-arm fast bowler asked Naveen whether he sledged someone on the field, to which he replied, "I don’t sledge someone upfront, It’s not my habit."

During their conversation, Naveen also recalled a funny sledging incident from a first-class game in which he was on the non-striker's end.

"There’s an incident from a first-class game. I was on the non-striker’s end and the batter on strike got sledged. The fielder on the silly point was newly married. He said, ‘It’s the last wicket, let's finish this quickly, I need to go home and finish some work, I just got married yesterday. This was a funny incident that happened."

Watch the video below: 

Avesh. Naveen. Too much fun 😂

Also, wait till 1.39 👀@AstralAdhesives | #bondtite pic.twitter.com/QlKnyZSgHu

— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) May 12, 2023

Will RCB and LSG clash again in IPL 2023?

The verbal spat between Kohli and LSG members was undoubtedly one of the worst incidents in IPL history, but it also enhanced the season's intensity. Looking at the current scenario, another clash between LSG and RCB seems unlikely, but if it happens, it will undoubtedly be a high-octane encounter.

The Krunal Pandya-led side is currently placed fifth in the points table. After a match against CSK was cancelled due to rain, LSG have 11 points from 11 games and need to win the remaining three games to guarantee a knockout position with 17 points. As for RCB, they need to win all their remaining matches and keep an eye on their net run rate to make the playoffs without waiting for other team's results.