Watch: Kuldeep Yadav slapped Rinku Singh; KKR issue statement

Kuldeep Yadav slapped Rinku Singh, which is not the first incident in which a player has been slapped in the IPL. Harbhajan Singh lost his cool and slapped S. Sreesanth immediately after the match between the Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings (formerly known as Kings XI Punjab).

Defending champion Kolkata won the match by 14 runs to keep themselves in contention in the race for the playoffs, whereas DC, who have been served a new slump, suffered two consecutive defeats. The face-off between the two players, both of whom belong to the same state (UP) but different IPL teams, occurred after the match was finished.

In the viral video on social media, the pair are seen chatting casually before Kuldeep surprises Rinku with a slap. The spinner repeated the action, and although Rinku did not respond, his facial expressions suggested some annoyance.

The video provoked controversy on social media, with many people doubting Yadav’s actions despite the supposedly pleasant atmosphere.

KKR Statement After This Issue

To calm the situation, KKR took a smart social media move. On X, they posted the video with the caption, “Media (sansani) vs (doston ke beech ka) Reality! Gehri dosti feat. our talented UP boys.”

The video begins by depicting the media hype with screen shots of sensationalized headlines and then transitions to a heartwarming clip of Yadav and Singh, arm-in-arm, finger-hearting, and laughing. This was followed by a wistful montage of their life together since KKR days and Indian team memories, all to the evergreen “Yeh Dosti Hum Nahin Todenge” from Sholay.

Even though KKR tried to defuse the situation and indicate it was all in jest, not everyone bought it. Some supporters maintained Kuldeep Yadav should apologize to Rinku Singh, that the gesture was not appropriate, even if it was meant in kindness.