Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir fined 100% of their match fees (Twitter)
Swann said he has no problem with players being aggressive on the field as long as they shake hands after the match and leave the matter on the field.
Veteran England fast bowler Graeme Swann reacts to the on-field brawl between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir during the Indian Premier League match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The match followed a heated exchange between the heavyweights of Indian cricket as both were fined 100 per cent of their match fees.
It all started with an on-field brawl between Kohli and LSG pacer Naveen-ul-Haq during the second innings of the match. Meanwhile, the Afghanistan pacer was also seen in an animated exchange during the post-match formalities after RCB scored the points on offer. Kohli was also seen in a verbal exchange with Kyle Mayer before the West Indies all-rounder was taken away by LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir. But, things took a turn for the worse as Gambhir opened up against Kohli and a brawl ensued.
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Swann said both Kohli and Gambhir are big personalities and they are not going to back down against each other. He also suggested that such controversies are good for the cash-rich league.
“After playing cricket for a lifetime, sometimes emotions boil over on the field. You know if they do it, it is good for the league. You should never try to undermine players so much that they don’t wear their heart on their sleeve. One of the reasons Virat Kohli is Virat Kohli is that he is so passionate about his cricket. He is so in your face that it scares off many players. And even then, there will be some players who think this goes too far. Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli will always keep their word. They are big personalities who have grown up playing together. So, Gautam is never going to bow down before Virat. This made me laugh. I thought it was brilliant,” Swann told NDTV.
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The former English spinner said he has no problem with players showing aggression on the field as long as they shake hands after the match and leave the matter on the field.
“It’s good to show passion. It’s good that the fast bowlers are bowling and then staring at the batsmen. It’s also good if the fast bowler gets the batsman out and says goodbye to him. I have no problem with that. As long as There’s a handshake after the game and no bad image showing on the screen. Then I’m on the field for the passion. Believe me I’ve played the Ashes my whole life, this is nothing compared to them.”
