“You cross the line sometimes, but…” Irfan Pathan on Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli’s on-field embrace

NEW DELHI: On Friday, during the Indian Premier League game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, cricket fans witnessed an unexpected on-field reunion between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir. This reunion marked a significant moment of reconciliation between the two former rivals.

After a turbulent past filled with physical altercations on the pitch, the meeting between Kohli and Gambhir took an unexpected turn when they were seen grinning and shaking hands during a tactical stoppage at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

A viral video on social media showed the peace gesture between Kohli and Gambhir, who were embroiled in a much-publicised argument during the 2024 Indian Premier League, indicating a positive growth in their friendship.

Irfan Pathan, a former Indian cricketer who played with both Gambhir and Kohli, commented on the situation and emphasised the maturity with which Gambhir initiated the reconciliation.
“The older man, Gautam Gambhir, did in fact come forward. Sometimes you step over the queue, but as soon as it’s over, you meet again—either now or in the future—nicely. This is what we saw,” Pathan said on Star Sports, highlighting the need to put previous disputes behind us.
Amidst the excitement surrounding the return of Kohli and Gambhir, the Kolkata Knight Riders had an outstanding batting performance in the match, winning handily by seven wickets against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
In the current IPL season, KKR also made history by becoming the first side to win an away game.