"Mujhe sab log iss liye jaante hain ki maine do logon ki fight rukwayi thi" - Former KKR all-rounder on Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir's IPL spat

Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Rajat Bhatia recently opened up on being the peacemaker during Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir's spat in the 2013 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 45-year-old stated that most people only know him because of that incident and not because of his cricketing achievement.

Kohli and Gambhir were involved in a heated exchange at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. After being dismissed, the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper and Gambhir had a few things to say to each other.

Before things could get any uglier, Bhatia calmed things down. It is worth mentioning that Bhatia knew both Kohli and Gambhir very well, having played together for Delhi in domestic cricket.

Recalling the fight, Bhatia opined that 'small disagreements' are part and parcel of the game. His comments came when he was on-air during the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match between Delhi and Railways.

He said on commentary (quoted as saying by Sports Tak):

"Mujhe sab log iss liye jaante hain ki maine do logon ki fight rukwayi thi, mere cricket ke wajah se nahi. (People mostly remember me for stopping a fight between two players. That seems to have left a bigger impression than my performances.)

"Now, one of them has a stand named after him, and the other has a pavilion (laughs). Every team has its share of small disagreements. Even in Delhi’s Ranji squad, we had them. But it’s important not to hold onto those moments. Today, one is the head coach, and the other plays a pivotal role in the team," he added.

It is worth mentioning that the Delhi vs Railways match marked Virat Kohli's return to domestic cricket. The right-handed batter played his first Ranji Trophy match in over 12 years.

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Virat Kohli was dismissed for six runs on Day 2 of Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy 2024-24 match

Thousands of fans gathered at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on the opening day of Virat Kohli's Ranji Trophy comeback match. However, the ace batter didn't bat on Day 1 as Delhi won the toss and chose to field first.

There was a massive crowd at the venue on Day 2 as well to see Kohli in action. However, their excitement turned into disappointment as the veteran cricketer failed to make a significant impact with the bat.

Kohli scored just six runs in 15 balls during his stay at the crease. He was bowled by pacer Himanshu Sangwan's bowling while trying to play a drive shot.