In the IPL season of 2023, Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir clashed on the field after a match in Lucknow. The league fined both of them. On March 29, 2024, Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore played Gambhir’s Kolkata Knight Riders in Bengaluru. During a strategic time-out, the two men hugged in front of the cameras.
Kohli spoke about it afterward. “That means the masala is over for you guys. We are not kids anymore,” he said.