The ‘no-handshake’ incident between Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly, followed by a tense moment, occurred during an IPL 2023 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. This incident hinted at underlying tensions between the two cricketing icons, with reports surfacing that they had even unfollowed each other on Instagram. However, during a subsequent match at the same venue, Ganguly showed his respect to Kohli after Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a 47-run victory over Delhi Capitals. This gesture marked a potential thawing of tensions between the two players.
The friction between Kohli and Ganguly was evident, particularly after Kohli’s removal from the ODI captaincy in 2021, shortly after stepping down from T20I leadership. This move triggered a public exchange of words between Kohli and the BCCI administration, then headed by Ganguly. The tensions escalated further when Kohli later decided to relinquish his Test captaincy role in January 2022, signaling a notable shift in the dynamics between the two cricketing figures.
During IPL 2023, tensions between Kohli and Ganguly were palpable when Kohli threw a death stare at Ganguly, who was then the director of cricket for Delhi Capitals, as he walked past him during the match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals. Following the match, Ganguly reportedly skipped the handshake queue, avoiding a direct interaction with Kohli, the former India opener, suggesting ongoing tensions between the two cricketing personalities.
However, in a positive turn of events, during the reverse fixture at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium later in the tournament, Kohli and Ganguly chose to bury the hatchet. After the match, they exchanged a post-match handshake, signaling a potential resolution to their previous tensions.
A year later, the dynamic between Kohli and Ganguly appeared unchanged as Ganguly displayed a gesture of ultimate respect towards Kohli following Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s emphatic win at home against Delhi Capitals. During the post-match handshake ritual, as players and support staff from both teams assembled, Ganguly notably removed his cap before approaching Kohli. He extended his congratulations to Kohli, who responded with a “Thank you” and a smile. Ganguly then proceeded to put his cap back on when greeting the rest of the RCB players.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s victory against Delhi Capitals marked their fifth consecutive win in the ongoing IPL 2024 tournament, propelling them to the fifth position in the points table and keeping their playoff hopes alive. Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals, who were without Rishabh Pant due to a suspension by the BCCI for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct, slipped to the sixth spot following the defeat. The match outcome had significant implications for both teams’ standings in the tournament, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru gaining momentum and Delhi Capitals facing challenges in their campaign.
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