As a result of the penalty, Kohli’s disciplinary record gains one demerit point.
During the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Indian cricketer Virat Kohli was assessed one demerit point and fined 20% of his match fee for shoulder-bumping Australian debutant Sam Konstas.
After the tenth over on the opening morning of the Test, Kohli was observed purposefully pushing Konstas in front of a crowd of 90,000. Following a verbal altercation, Australian opener Usman Khawaja intervened to defuse the situation.
The ICC Code of Conduct’s Article 2.12, which forbids improper physical contact in cricket, applies to Kohli’s actions. “Any kind of inappropriate physical contact is prohibited in cricket,” the regulation reads. Players that willfully, carelessly, and/or negligently bump into, shoulder, or walk into another player or umpire shall violate this rule.
Intent, force of contact, and any ensuing injuries are some of the elements used to determine how serious such violations are.
“Virat walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation,” said former Australian captain Ricky Ponting on Channel Seven, criticizing Kohli’s actions. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind. At that point, fielders shouldn’t be close to the batsman. Konstas didn’t even realize someone was in front of him because he glanced up so late. Kohli, the man on TV there, may have some questions for him.
“There is a line, and you don’t want to overstep that line,” said former India coach Ravi Shastri, who also voiced disappointment.
If Kohli accrues more demerit points in the future, the penalty could result in additional repercussions. The penalty adds one demerit point to his disciplinary record.
