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After a year, Sourav Ganguly extends an olive branch to Virat Kohli

During Sunday's Indian Premier League game between the Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, a touching moment of reconciliation was witnessed by the cricket community. This occurs precisely a year after a heated exchange between BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and former Indian captain Virat Kohli sparked rumors of a breach between the two. The removal of Virat Kohli from the ODI captaincy in 2021 by the BCCI, then led by Ganguly, sparked a public controversy.

There were apparently disagreements between Kohli and the board's management as a result of this choice. The relationship was further strained when Kohli subsequently gave up his position as Test captain in the beginning of 2022. When Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly, the DC director of cricket at the time, exchanged cold looks during the IPL 2023 season, it was clear that tension existed.

They even reportedly avoided a post-match handshake. But when Kohli and Ganguly shook hands following their respective teams' match in Delhi later in the 2023 season, some semblance of calm had returned. An additional year went by, and the story took a more touching turn.

Following RCB's dominant victory over DC, during the customary post-match handshakes, SouravGanguly displayed a gesture of immense respect towards Kohli. He did more than just shake Kohli's hand; as a gesture of respect, he took off his cap. Kohli acknowledged the gesture with a warm smile and a "thank you." This act stood out, as Ganguly treated the other RCB players with a regular handshake.