Cricket

FACT CHECK: Did Agha Salman Message Virat Kohli On Instagram After His Fight With Naveen Ul Haq?

Dixit Bhargav
|Published Dec 02, 2023 10:12AM UTC

“Kohli bache, easy ho jaa. Kya ho gaya hai? [Kohli child, take it easy. What happened?]”

Whether Pakistan all-rounder Agha Salman messaged former Indian captain Virat Kohli the above mentioned lines in the exact way or not is the biggest question which cricket fans are facing at the moment. The answer to it, irrespective of what anyone says, remains unconfirmed unless one out of Salman or Kohli reveals his Instagram chat.

The confusion has erupted since a viral video of Pakistan batter Imam-ul-Haq‘s appearance on Honest Hour Podcast started to do the rounds across social media platforms. A 29-second clip out of an 80-minute long podcast is being circulated like wildfire because of Imam’s mention of Kohli.

As per the 27-year old player, Salman had a suggestion for Kohli right after his altercation with Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq during the 16th season of the Indian Premier League earlier this year.

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Did Agha Salman Message Virat Kohli On Instagram After His Fight With Naveen Ul Haq?

Yes. Even if one believes that Salman messaged Kohli on Instagram, his exact choice of words remains unknown because, Imam, first person to disclose the incident in the public domain, himself isn’t sure of what Salman had messaged the legendary cricketer.

For the English-speaking readers, it is to be noted that the aforementioned message, where Salman is referring Kohli to as a child, is disrespectful according to the culture in the subcontinent. Hence, leading to immense queries on part of ardent fans of Kohli.

When one of the two hosts, who wasn’t even aware of Salman, cross-examined Imam regarding the selection of words, he didn’t take a lot of time in making a sharp U-turn.

“Kohli bhai, easy ho jao. Kya ho gaya hai? [Kohli brother, take it easy. What happened?],” Imam mentions as another possibility.

Having said that, the newly married left-handed batter was quick to honestly point out that he doesn’t know which of these two lines Salman messaged Kohli. Assuming it’s the second one, the same would be readily accepted among fans as referring to a senior player, even of a rival nation, as brother is quite common in this part of the world.

Imam, however, should be careful with his diction while narrating such anecdotes publicly. In all honesty, the difference of a word has it in it to ignite online fan wars between Indian and Pakistani fans.

Shadab Khan Had Introduced Agha Salman To Virat Kohli

Pakistan white-ball vice-captain Shadab Khan, who shares an amiable bond with Virat Kohli, had introduced Salman to him during Asia Cup 2023. The players had burst into laughter when Khan informed Kohli that one of the many unread messages on his Instagram handle belongs to Salman.

Acknowledging the same in a hilarious manner, Kohli had threatened Salman with respect to spreading his message by responding to it.

Batting against India in a losing cause in the same tournament, Salman had suffered an injury after unsuccessfully attempting to sweep India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Nearest to the batter, India wicket-keeper batter KL Rahul immediately checked upon Salman as Kohli signaled towards the need for medical attention.

Not wearing a helmet at the time, the right-handed batter had resumed batting with a helmet after undergoing a concussion test at the R Premdasa Stadium around 12 weeks ago.

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About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.