ICC lets off Virat Kohli easy with 20% match fee after shouldering ...
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has fined Indian cricket star Virat Kohli 20 percent of his match fee following a heated exchange with Australian debutant Sam Konstas on the opening day of the fourth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The rivalry between India and Australia reached a boiling point on Day 1 of the fourth Test as Kohli and the 19-year-old debutant collided shoulder-to-shoulder, sparking a verbal clash. Replays revealed that Kohli was fully aware of his trajectory, while Konstas, with his head down and adjusting his gloves, unintentionally walked into the Indian batter.
After the day’s play, Kohli appeared before match referee Andy Pycroft, where he admitted to the offense. As a result, he was fined 20 percent of his match fee and received one demerit point for the altercation with Konstas.
The incident took place during the break between the 10th and 11th overs of the Australian innings, following the hosts winning the toss and choosing to bat first. Kohli and Konstas collided as the Australian opener was changing ends with Usman Khawaja. Konstas verbally responded to Kohli, and Khawaja had to step in to separate the two players.
Kohli's apparent shoulder nudge was captured by cameras, sparking immediate reactions from fans and pundits alike. Ravi Shastri criticised Kohli’s actions, calling them “absolutely unnecessary” on local radio.
Under the ICC’s Code of Conduct, any form of inappropriate physical contact, whether intentional or unintentional, is prohibited, and players are expected to avoid actions that could be seen as reckless or negligent.
Konstas dismisses incident
Konstas, however, dismissed the incident after the match. Smiling from the sidelines after scoring his maiden half-century in Test cricket, he stated that the exchange with Kohli was a result of heightened emotions.
“I think the emotions got to both of us. I didn’t quite realise it as I was adjusting my gloves, but it happens in cricket,” Konstas said during a post-match interview with 7Cricket. He went on to score 60 runs before being dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja.
