AUS vs IND, Boxing Day Test: Virat Kohli fined 20% match fee, handed 1 demerit point for Sam Konstas incident
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Dec 26, 2024, 1:48 PM ISTVirat Kohli was fined and given a demerit point for shoulder-barging Australian debutant Sam Konstas during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
In a dramatic turn of events on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), India's star batter, Virat Kohli, was fined 20% of his match fees and awarded one demerit point following an incident involving Australian debutant Sam Konstas.
The incident occurred after the conclusion of the 10th over, when Kohli was seen shoulder-barging the Australian opener in front of a 87,000-strong MCG crowd. The altercation led to a brief exchange of words between the two players, with Usman Khawaja stepping in to diffuse the situation.
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"Have a look where Virat walks. Virat's walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind whatsoever."
- Ricky Ponting pic.twitter.com/zm4rjG4X9A
Cricket, being a non-contact sport, has strict regulations regarding physical contact between players. Under the ICC's Code of Conduct (CoC), Article 2.12, "Any form of inappropriate physical contact is prohibited," including intentional, reckless, or negligent body nudging. The rules further state that such breaches are evaluated based on factors like the context of the situation, the force of the contact, and any resulting injury.
The confrontation drew immediate criticism from former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who called for sanctions against Kohli. "Virat walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind whatsoever," Ponting remarked on Channel Seven. "It looked to me that Konstas looked up really late and wouldn't even know anyone was in front of him."
Former India coach Ravi Shastri also expressed disapproval, labeling Kohli's actions as unnecessary. "There is a line and you don’t want to overstep that line," Shastri said.
The physical contact has now become a major talking point of the match, with many fans and experts alike calling for stricter enforcement of the ICC's Code of Conduct to ensure such incidents do not tarnish the spirit of the game.
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