Virat Kohli Fined and Faces Backlash for Confrontation with Konstas

India’s Virat Kohli found himself at the center of controversy during the opening session of the Test match against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday, after an incident involving debutant Sam Konstas.

Kohli, who was involved in a physical altercation with Konstas, was fined 20% of his match fee and handed one demerit point.

The incident, which took place at the end of the 10th over on Day 1, showed Kohli deliberately shoulder-bumping Konstas in front of a crowd of 90,000 spectators.

The video quickly went viral, sparking outrage on social media, with many criticizing Kohli’s actions.

The moment escalated into a brief verbal exchange between the two players, prompting Australian opener Usman Khawaja to step in and defuse the situation.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) reviewed the incident under Article 2.12 of its Code of Conduct, which prohibits inappropriate physical contact.

According to the regulation, players breach the code if they “deliberately, recklessly, or negligently” make physical contact with others on the field.

Former ICC Elite Panel umpire Simon Taufel, analyzing the incident, stated that Kohli’s actions warranted further scrutiny. “The camera angle shows Kohli changing his line to enter Konstas’ personal space. The umpires and referee will likely take this seriously,” Taufel remarked.

Ricky Ponting, former Australian captain, also weighed in, describing Kohli’s actions as deliberate. “Kohli walked a whole pitch to initiate the confrontation. There’s no doubt in my mind that the umpires will closely examine this. No fielders should be near the batsman at that moment. Konstas didn’t seem aware that anyone was in his path,” Ponting said.

Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri also expressed disappointment, calling the altercation avoidable. “There’s a line in cricket, and this incident crossed it.