Afghanistan’s prominent fast bowler, Naveen-ul-Haq, has finally addressed the highly-discussed ‘Sweet Mangoes’ controversy arising from IPL 2023. While representing Lucknow Super Giants, Naveen found himself in the spotlight after a heated exchange with former Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli during the IPL 2023, a moment that quickly went viral on social media.
Following the clash, Naveen shared a photo on Instagram, showing him enjoying mangoes during a match between Mumbai Indians and RCB. The coincidental timing led to speculation about a connection between the post and Kohli’s performance, triggering widespread discussions.
In a video interview with LSG, Naveen clarified the ‘sweet mangoes’ saga with Kohli. He explained that his Instagram post was not directed at Kohli but rather stemmed from a desire for mangoes.
Naveen shared, “I had told Dhaval bhai (LSG team logistics) that I wanted to eat mangoes. He got mangoes that night itself. When we went to Goa, he brought mangoes. So I was sitting in front of the screen and eating mangoes. There was no picture or anything (of Kohli); it was a Mumbai Indians player on the screen. So I wrote ‘sweet mangoes,’ and everyone took it in a different way. I thought it was mango season, so people’s shops should also do well.”
Naveen further revealed that he and Kohli reconciled during the recently concluded ODI World Cup 2023 when India faced Afghanistan. “He (Virat) told me ‘let’s finish it.’ I said yeah, let’s finish it. We laughed about it, we hugged and moved on. He also said that after this, you won’t hear my name. You will only hear support from the crowd,” shared Naveen.
