Rajasthan Royals (RR) spinner Kumar Kartikeya has dismissed any rumours of a feud with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) talisman Virat Kohli during their IPL 2025 encounter. Kartikeya and Kohli had a mild misunderstanding during the game, causing the spinner to receive a glare from the RCB maestro. However, speaking after the game – which RR lost to RCB after an unbeaten 62 by Kohli – Kartikeya confirmed that there was no serious argument between the two. In fact, Kohli had walked up to him and praised him for his bowling.
The incident between Kohli and Kartikeya occurred during the ninth over of the RCB batting innings, when the spinner took the wicket of Kohli’s opening partner Phil Salt. As he celebrated Salt’s wicket, Kartikeya received a stare from Kohli.
However, Kartikeya has now clarified as to what exactly took place.
“Actually jab unhone (Salt) chakka mara toh Virat bhai ne chillake ‘Come On’ bola, toh maine unko dekha, unhone mujhe dekha. Maine us time pe kuch nahi bola, phir jab maine out kiya toh maine hath upar karke ‘Come On’ bola toh unhone peeche mudke dekha (Actually when Salt hit me for a six Virat bhai shouted ‘Come On’ and we looked at each other. I did not say anything at that time. Then when I dismissed Salt I raised my hands and said ‘Come On’. He turned back and looked at me),” revealed Kartikeya
“Toh maine kaha, ‘bhaiya, aapko nahi bol raha hoon’. Tab unhone aake mera hath milaya ki ‘theek hai, well bowled’ (Then I told him that I hadn’t told it to him. Then he came to me, shook my hands and told me ‘well bowled’),” Kartikeya said.
Salt hit a 28-ball fifty and put on 92 with Kohli before drilling spinner Kartikeya to Yashasvi Jaiswal at midwicket.
“Always pleased to contribute to a win, especially on the road,” player of the match Salt said on his team’s fourth away win.
Kohli then shared an unbeaten stand of 83 with left-hander Devdutt Padikkal, who hit 40, to steer the team home with 15 balls to spare.
It marked their fourth win in six matches and sent them into the top four of the 10-team table.
Inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals slumped to their fourth defeat in six outings in IPL 2025.
Rajasthan opener Jaiswal top-scored with 75 to guide the team to 173/4 after being invited to bat first.
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