Rajat Bhatia lifts the lid on infamous Virat Kohli-Gautam Gambhir IPL 2013 fight

India’s domestic cricket veteran and former Delhi all-rounder Rajat Bhatia witnessed the on-field spat between Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli during the 2013 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) from close quarters. Moreover, the all-rounder intervened their altercation and was responsible for separating the two cricketers. Their quarrel came as a surprise to many fans because both Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir not only represented the national side together but were also long time teammates for the same Ranji Trophy team, Delhi.

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Kohli vs Gambhir: Rajat Bhatia opens up about infamous IPL 2013 spat

Rajat Bhatia was recently involved in an interview with Asianet Newsable where he opened up about the infamous IPL 2013’s Kohli vs Gambhir standoff. Their clash occurred during a crucial stage of the match as the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore were chasing a stiff 155-run target set by the then defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders. Rajat Bhatia said that both Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir were aggressive captains and wanted to win the match for their respective IPL franchises.

The all-rounder termed their altercation as “just a part of the game” and he admitted to never seeing them fight again. This is contrary to fans and pundits claiming or believing that it is Gambhir who started the feud and had personal issues with Kohli prior to the game. Reportedly, Gambhir abused Kohli after the dismissal as he started walking back, which infuriated the latter.

According to Rajat Bhatia, such incidences happen in the “heat of the moment” and they “shouldn’t be happening for the worse”. Interestingly, Rajat Bhatia has had the experience of playing alongside both Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir as he also represented Delhi in Ranji Trophy.

RCB ended up winning the match by 8 wickets and with 15 balls to spare at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Opening batsman Chris Gayle scored a 50-ball 85* to power the home side to victory after Virat Kohli’s dismissal spurred to a heated chat with his rival captain.

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Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir engage as Rajat Bhatia intervenes in IPL 2013, watch video

Speaking about Virat Kohli, Rajat Bhatia said that the current Indian captain is the “best batsman at the moment”. He said that Kohli never stops and he has the hunger that never ends. Further praising the legendary batsman, Rajat Bhatia said that every player should learn from Virat Kohli and his consistent run-scoring abilities.

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Image credits: Screenshot from IPLT20.COM