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The Indian Premier League (IPL) season has catapulted into the second half of the league stage as the teams jostle for places to finish in the top four to qualify for the playoffs and possibly finish in the top two.
The defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) sit on top of the points table with six wins in eight games, while the Delhi Capitals remain the bottom-placed team with just two wins in eight games. Both teams will face each other on Tuesday in Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
While the action on the field has been full of high-intensity moments with thrilling last-over finishes, there have been instances where the players have crossed the line and had heated moments and verbal spats during the game or post-game.
The IPL has historically seen some of the most combustive players with fiery temperaments that have gotten into controversies with their actions on the field or by making controversial statements off the field. One of the fiercest competitors to not hold back from going at players on the field or off it is former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Gautam Gambhir.
Gambhir led KKR to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 and is the mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) since 2022. The former Indian opener has been associated with numerous controversial moments in his career dating back to 2007 when he clashed with Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi followed by another verbal spat with Australian all-rounder Shane Watson in 2008.
He has also made several fiery statements to go along with his on-field incidents against some of the greatest players in the game, including MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers. Gauti's actions on the field and comments on certain players have created huge controversies over the years and have had several fans outraged against him.
Here, we look at Gautam Gambhir's three most controversial moments since joining LSG in 2022.
#1 Gautam Gambhir-Virat Kohli Brawl after RCB-LSG clash
Lucknow Super Giants (LCG) mentor Gautam Gambhir and former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli got into a verbal spat after RCB defeated LSG by 18 runs in Lucknow on Monday, May 1.
The incident started after the 16th over of the LSG innings when RCB pacer Mohammed Siraj stared at LSG's Naveen Ul Haq before throwing the ball at the stumps with Naveen well inside the crease.
Siraj and Naveen then exchanged words, and Kohli stepped in and had words for Naveen, forcing the umpires to intervene. In reaction, The Afghanistan pacer was quick to charge towards Kohli.
This led to ugly scenes between Gambhir and Kohli post-match when Kohli and Naveen were still going at it, with Gauti having an animated and fiery discussion with the umpires.
Following the customary handshakes between the teams, LSG opener Kyle Mayers and Virat Kohli were seen talking when Gautam came out of nowhere and pulled Mayers away from Virat, instigating the Kohli-Gambhir confrontation and exchange.
As teammates from both teams tried to take Gambhir and Kohli away, the pair charged towards each other and had a fierce exchange.
Here is a video of the brawl from start to finish:
It is worth mentioning that the relationship between Virat and Gautam has been fractured ever since they were involved in an on-field face-off 10 years back in a match between RCB and KKR at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
The pair have been fined 100 per cent of their match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct, while Naveen was fined 50 percent of his match fee.
#2 Gautam Gambhir silences the Chinnaswamy crowd after LSG's last-ball win against RCB
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor Gautam Gambhir made a controversial gesture for the packed crowd at the Chinnaswamy Stadium to be silent after their one-wicket victory against RCB off the final ball of the innings.
In one of the closest games in the IPL 2023, emotions ran high as most of the LSG dug out celebrated wildly after the last pair stole a bye off the last ball to complete a memorable chase.
Gautam was especially fired up with emotions as he banged the table with his hand and then hugged the team while hurling things in a fired-up manner. He was also highly vocal and exuberant during much of LSG's batting innings, especially during Nicholas Pooran's stunning match-winning half-century.
It was perhaps a reaction to Gauti's extreme and controversial behavior in the first meeting between the teams that spilled over to their second meeting, resulting in an ugly brawl after the game.
#3 Gautam Gambhir on AB de Villiers' IPL records
Gautam Gambhir has never been one to shy away from making controversial statements off the field that ruffle the feathers of fans across the globe. He has been prone to take digs at some of the greatest players to have played the game, including MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
In a recent Star Sports poll for the best IPL batter to be selected by cricket experts, AB de Villiers was one of the batters nominated. However, the former KKR captain pointed out that the Protea batter played most of his games at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, renowned for its small boundaries and flat wickets.
Gambhir picked former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Suresh Raina ahead of ABD as the best batter in the IPL due to his impact on the Super Kings winning titles and said:
"If AB de Villiers plays in a small ground like Chinnaswamy Stadium for 8-10 years, any player might have the same strike rate or ability. So Suresh Raina 4 IPL titles, unfortunately, de Villiers only personal records."
His statements did not go down well with fans, with several pointing to his mediocre record at Chinnaswamy Stadium, where he averaged 30.2 at a strike rate of 126.4.
However, ABD averaged 43.56 at a strike rate of 161.2 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and close to 40 at a strike rate of 152 in his overall IPL career.
