After a year, Sourav Ganguly extends an olive branch to Virat Kohli
On Sunday, during the IPL match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the cricketing world witnessed a heartwarming moment of reconciliation. This comes exactly a year after a tense encounter between former Indian captain Virat Kohli and BCCI president SouravGangulyfueled rumours of a rift between the two.
The removal of Virat Kohli from the ODI captaincy in 2021 by the BCCI, then led by Ganguly, sparked a public controversy. This decision reportedly created a rift between Kohli and the board’s administration. Kohli subsequently relinquished his Test captaincy role in early 2022, further straining the relationship.
The tension became evident during the IPL 2023 season when Virat Kohli exchanged icy stares with SouravGanguly, who was then the DC director of cricket. They even reportedly avoided a post-match handshake.
However, a semblance of peace was restored later in the 2023 season in the reverse fixture in Delhi, when Kohli and Ganguly shook hands after their respective teams clashed in Delhi.
Fast forward to a year later, and the narrative took a more heartwarming turn. Following RCB’s dominant victory over DC, during the customary post-match handshakes, SouravGanguly displayed a gesture of immense respect towards Kohli.
He not only shook Kohli’s hand but also went the extra mile by removing his cap as a sign of respect. Kohli acknowledged the gesture with a warm smile and a “thank you.” This act stood out, as Ganguly treated the other RCB players with a regular handshake.