In the IPL 2023 Eliminator, Mumbai Indians (MI) delivered a resounding blow to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) with a massive 81-run victory at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This triumph propelled the five-time IPL champions forward in the competition, setting up a clash against the defending champions, the Gujarat Titans, in Qualifier 2. Subsequently, following the defeat, fans unleashed a torrent of trolling directed at Naveen-ul-Haq, with chants of Virat Kohli’s name reverberating throughout.
The saga originated during match number 43, where Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squared off against LSG in Lucknow. An intense verbal exchange between the two players escalated into a full-blown brawl as emotions ran high. Despite KL Rahul’s attempts to diffuse the situation, Naveen held onto his grudge against the former RCB captain. Since then, fans have relentlessly pursued Naveen on Twitter, taunting him with Kohli’s name.
During the post-match presentation, when questioned about the chants referencing the RCB stalwart, the 23-year-old expressed his enjoyment of the situation. He revealed that he relishes the experience of being sledged by the crowd with Kohli chants or the name of any other player. Such occurrences serve as strong motivation for the Afghan bowler to elevate his performance for the team.
That chanting motivates me to do better: Naveen
“I enjoy it (chanting). I like that everybody on the ground is chanting his name or any other player’s name. It gives me the passion to play well for my team,”
Naveen said.
“I don’t concentrate on the outside noise. I just focus on my own cricket. It’s not like if the crowd is chanting or anyone is saying something… it doesn’t affect me. As professional sportsmen, you have to take it in your stride,”
Naveen further added.
Naveen-ul-Haq, the pacer for LSG, showcased his talent by taking 4/38 against MI, dismissing Rohit Sharma, Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma. After his success, he celebrated by putting fingers in his ears to block out the crowd noise. In eight matches, Naveen has claimed 11 wickets with an average of 19.89 and an impressive economy rate of 7.82.
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