In the thrilling ‘sweet mangoes’ saga of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023), Afghanistan fast-bowler Naveen-ul-Haq emerged not just as a fierce competitor on the field but also as a subject of intrigue off the pitch. The crux of this tale revolves around a seemingly innocuous Instagram post, sparking controversies, misunderstandings, and, ultimately, a candid patch-up with none other than Virat Kohli.
The social media storm began when Naveen-ul-Haq posted a photo on Instagram, indulging in sweet mangoes from his hotel room while tuning in to the high-stakes clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. Captioned ‘sweet mangoes,’ the post’s timing led fans to draw connections with Virat Kohli’s untimely dismissal in the first over of the contest, a moment pivotal for both RCB and MI’s playoff aspirations.
Days earlier, Naveen and Kohli were embroiled in an on-field spat during an RCB vs. Lucknow Super Giants match, an incident that led to fines for all parties involved. Fast forward to the IPL 2024 mini-auction anticipation, and Naveen took to a video released by LSG to dispel the misconceptions around the ‘sweet mangoes’ post.
In his revelation, Naveen clarified that the post had nothing to do with Kohli and was merely a light-hearted expression of his love for mangoes. “I had told Dhaval bhai (LSG team logistics) that I wanted to eat mangoes. And he got mangoes that night itself. So I was sitting in front of the screen and eating mangoes. There was no picture or anything (of Kohli), it was a Mumbai Indians player on the screen. So I wrote ‘sweet mangoes,’ and everyone took it in a different way,” explained Naveen.
Naveen-ul-Haq and Virat Kohli patch-up
As the 2024 IPL mini-auction looms on December 19 in Dubai, LSG has retained Naveen’s services for the upcoming season, marking a fresh chapter after releasing eight players.
Delving further into the narrative, Naveen ul Haq disclosed the behind-the-scenes of his reconciliation with Virat Kohli during India’s ODI World Cup 2023 match against Afghanistan at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The exchange, initiated during a drinks break, led to a mutual understanding between the players.
“Rohit bhai ka wicket gira aur drinks break hua. Drinks break khatam ho ke mai jaa raha tha long-on par fielding karne. So I was about to pass (Kohli), and hamara ek eye contact hua, Virat ne bola ki ‘let’s finish it’, toh maine bola ‘Ya, let’s finish it.’ Unke dil mein kuch nahi tha, mere dil mein bhi unke liye obviously kuch nahi tha,” revealed Naveen ul Haq.
The candid conversation between the players, fueled by mutual respect, ended with laughter, a hug, and an agreement. “He said that now, after this, you won’t hear my name or something. You will only get support from the crowd. I said yes. After that, he wanted to tell the crowd or signal the crowd to not chant my name. So that was it,” Naveen added.
In the kaleidoscope of IPL drama, this revelation unveils the human side of intense on-field rivalries, emphasizing camaraderie and sportsmanship beyond the boundary ropes.
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