Afghanistan's former paceman Naveen-ul-Haq has revealed the amicable connection he shared with Indian batting sensation Virat Kohli during their encounter in the 2023 World Cup held in Delhi. Despite their previous on-field altercation in IPL 2023, the right-arm pacer, now retired from 50-over internationals, disclosed that Kohli suggested to "finish it," a proposition to which he readily agreed.
During the initial World Cup matches, Naveen experienced the unique atmosphere of hearing chants of 'Kohli, Kohli' from the crowd. Despite the earlier clash, the World Cup encounter witnessed a different dynamic between the two players.
Speaking in an interaction with IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), the 24-year-old recounted the moment: "We got support in every game apart from that one game against India. Rather than that, we got a home kind of a feeling. He told me 'let's finish it.' I said yeah let's finish it. We laughed about it, we hugged and moved on. He also said that after this you won't hear my name. You will only hear support from the crowd."
Meanwhile, Afghanistan emerged as a notable force in the 2023 World Cup, arguably standing as the second-best Asian side after India. Led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan secured victories against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Netherlands. Their formidable performance against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai was halted by Glenn Maxwell's remarkable 201*, resulting in a historic win slipping through Afghanistan's grasp. The campaign concluded with a defeat to South Africa.
