WATCH: Chennai Fans Greet Naveen Ul Haq With Virat Kohli Chants During IPL 2023 Eliminator

There has been no escaping for Lucknow Super Giants fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq from chants featuring former Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli‘s name. Currently playing Indian Premier League 2023 Eliminator against Mumbai Indians, Naveen witnessed another Indian city teasing him at the time of him fielding at the boundary.

In all honesty, fans in Chennai have followed their counterparts from Lucknow (home ground of Super Giants), Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Kolkata in attempting to punish the right-arm bowler for participating in an altercation with Kohli earlier this month.

For those who don’t know, the same had played a key role in a clash between Kohli and LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium. Since then, fans have tried to take the mickey out of Naveen irrespective of where he plays in the country.

Chennai Fans Greet Naveen Ul Haq With Virat Kohli Chants

Naveen, who has given an impression of always being ready for a combat in his comparatively young professional career, takes all these jeers like a sport. Even tonight, the 23-year old player wasn’t affected by the fans at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Instead, he was seen gesturing them to be even louder in their effort to perhaps signal that such chants inspire him to do well.

Naveen-ul-Haq Responds With The Ball In Hand

Naveen, who never shies away from accepting a challenge, responded to the spectators at the venue with his bowling. Introduced into the attack as a first-change bowler in the fourth over, Naveen picked the all-important wicket of Indians captain Rohit Sharma (11) on the second ball that he bowled.

Been given a second over right after the halfway mark, Naveen put an end to a potentially dangerous 38-ball 66-run third-wicket partnership between Cameron Green (41) and Suryakumar Yadav (33) by dismissing both the batters in the same over.

Naveen, who also sent batter Tilak Varma (26) back to the pavilion in the 18th over, ended up picking bowling figures of 4-0-38-4 in a knockout fixture.