It was only a matter of time before these two hotheads clashed, and when they did, things got downright nasty. Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli, both notorious for their unfiltered opinions and mutual disdain, finally came to blows during a recent IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants.
According to insiders, the foul-mouthed fight was a sight to behold, with enough north Indian profanity to make even Ben Stokes blush! Some fans were left divided by the drama, with some calling it immature, while others relished the intense rivalry.
An eyewitness from one of the team dugouts spilled the beans to PTI, giving us a juicy lowdown on all the drama.
"You saw on TV that Mayers and Virat were walking side by side for a few metres post match. Mayers asked Kohli why he was constantly abusing them and Virat, in turn, questioned why was he (Mayers) 'staring' at him? Before that (Amit) Mishra had complained to the umpire about Virat constantly abusing Naveen (ul-Haq), who is a No. 10 batter.
"Gautam, sensing that things could turn ugly, pulled Mayers and told him not to have a conversation, when Virat made a comment. The heated exchange that followed seemed a bit juvenile," he said.
"Gautam asked 'Kya bol raha hain bol' (What were you saying?) and Virat replied, 'Maine aapko kuch bola hi naahin, aap kyon ghus rahein ho' (Why are you coming in between when I haven't told you anything).
"Gautam responded, 'Tuney agar mere player ko bola hai, matlab tune meri family ko gaali diya hai. (You abused my player and that's like abusing my family) and Virat's reply was, 'Toh aap apne family ko sambhal ke rakhiye'. (Then you take care of your family).
"Gambhir's final reply before they were separated was, 'Toh ab tu mujhe sikhayega...' (So now I have to learn from you...)."
Insiders say that their relationship remains complicated, with Gambhir known for his sharp tongue and Kohli not one to back down from a challenge. "Gautam is not the easiest person to handle," said a former India player who shared the dressing room with both players.
"He had no business gesturing to the crowd at Chinnaswamy, which swears by Virat's name. Now here, Virat got a chance to show one-upmanship, and he did."
(With PTI inputs)
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