Rivalries or rifts or power struggles in the sports arena are as old as hills. When there are two gigantic figures in an outfit or a team, differences are bound to occur. But such differences should not degenerate into ugly soap operas, affecting the prospects of the teams in question. Recently, when the reports of a clash between Man United players Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire began to surface purportedly over power struggles, we could not help but go back in time to touch upon some infamous fights between two players of one outfit that consumed major parts of the sports section on newspapers back then. Sports have had their shares of fights or feuds between players of one team, however, none could match the intensity of these aforementioned clashes.
The Lee-Hesh Saga
Ties between two of the biggest names in the Indian tennis domain, Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes, got affected badly after scripting some marvellous victories for India at various world championships. The pair, who won 16 titles in unison and entered the finals of four successive Grand Slams, started developing issues and differences on various fronts since 2000.
Despite these hiccups, they continued playing together in Davis Cup till 2010, but afterwards, the matter between the legendary players reached the point of no return with Bhupathi calling Paes a “back-stabber, severing all ties with him. Some call it an ego clash or “irreconcilable difference” but the exact reason for the rift is still elusive. However, currently, there is a seven-part web series, Break Point, dealing with the rift between Lee-Hesh, where the duo can be seen clearing the air over their past problems and fights.
Akram-Waqar Rivalry
Pakistan’s formidable bowling partners need no introduction. If Wasim Akram was the “Sultan of Swing” then Waqar was the “Master of deadly toe-crushers or yorkers. The famous duo has won several games for their national team with an exhilarating display of fast bowling. However, the robust alliance could not stand the test of time as the once-great-friendship soon turned toxic on and off the field.
The unhealthy rivalry between Akram and Waqar had, in fact, left an unending and unwanted legacy of hatred in Pakistan cricket and the team fortunes spiral downwards due to the unsavoury episode in the 90s, according to a former Pakistan player Mudassar Nazar. Even Waqar Younis recently confessed that he regret the fight he had with Wasim Akram. This is precisely the main reason why Pakistan could not rule the roost in the 90s despite having a balanced attack at its disposal.
The Spat Involving Paes-Bopanna-Saina
Leander Paes is undoubtedly one of the greatest Tennis players India has produced over the years but the veteran has not had the best of the equations with several of his teammates. If his tiffs with Bhupathi has become a part of Tennis folklore, then his incompatibility with Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza has also spiced up the headlines of major newspapers. Both Sania, as well as Bopanna, have expressed their reservations over pairing with the experience Paes in the Doubles category several times in the past.
In 2016 when Sania refused to pair up with the veteran player, the All India Tennis Association forcefully paired the latter with Bopanna, much to the chagrin of the Karnataka player. Paes, to return the favour, it was alleged that he deliberately reached Rio late back in the 2016 Olympics to heckle Bopanna and even refused to share the flat at the Games Village in Brazil. These tiffs ensured that the Indian tennis contingent came back empty-handed to India from Rio despite having a bright chance to secure the medal. Watch this video to understand issues between the trio clearly.
The Trouble in Kohli-Rohit Paradise
This is the latest addition to the list of rivalries. Things were cordial between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma but after the team’s defeat against New Zealand in the 2019 ODI World Cup Final news started to circulate that the ties between then Team India captain and vice-captain have gone downhill. Though the duo has dismissed the talks of the rift on several occasions, tongues never stopped wagging, especially when Rohit missed the Test series in South Africa and Kohli allegedly sought rest from the ODI series against Proteas recently.
Many former players, including Mohammed Azharuddin, questioned the timing of the two decisions. Now, Rohit is the all-format captain and no one would ever know whether there was anything more than what meets the eye between the two, but one cannot ignore the famous saying that there is no smoke without fire.
