Kohli: Fans are disappointed after Gambhir hugged me

But instead, what transpired was something no one saw coming. When the Royal Challengers Bengaluru hosted Kolkata Knight Riders, a totally unexpected sight unfolded in front of our eyes as Kohli and Gambhir hugged each other, buried the hatchet and moved on, possibly marking the end of one of the most talked-about rivalries in Indian cricket. Gambhir and Kohli go back a long way. From being teammates to opponents in the IPL, and getting in each other's faces, their equation has seen all kinds of ups and downs.

A total of 24 matches are done and dusted this IPL, and yet, this season has remained pretty quiet until now. There haven't been many close finishes, or a big controversy per say barring the Hardik Pandya captaincy row at the Mumbai Indians. Kohli, who himself is steadfast focussed on the game rather than on-field spats, shared his thoughts on the subdued nature of this season and expressed his surprise at the public's reaction following his reconciliation with Gambhir.

"People are very disappointed with my behaviour. I hugged Naveen, and then the other day, Gauti bhai [Gautam Gambhir came and hugged me. Your masala is over so you're booing. We're not kids anymore," he said during a PUMA event.