Virat Kohli gets ICC sanction after Sam Konstas incident at MCG; fined 20% of match fees, handed one demerit point

Virat Kohli has been fined 20 percent of his match fees by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and awarded one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct after his shoulder-bumping incident with Sam Konstas on Day 1 of the India vs Australia fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the global cricketing body announced on Thursday.

Following stumps on Day 1, Kohli accepted the sanctions as no formal hearing was needed. “No formal hearing was needed as Kohli accepted the sanctions proposed by Match Referee Andy Pycroft. On-field umpires Joel Wilson and Michael Gough, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Shawn Craig levelled the charge,” the ICC said in its statement.  

According to ICC's Code of Conduct, Article 2.12 reads, “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator during an International Match.”

In the video of the whole incident, it is clearly seen that Kohli bumped his shoulder into Konstas' while the Australian debutant was doing his gloves. The physical collision led to an exchange of words between the two before Konstas' fellow Australian opener Usman Khawaja intervened to cool things down. It happened between the 10th and 11th overs.

However, Kohli's action didn't go well with the former cricketers, who were commentating the game. Former India cricketer Ravi Shastri called disapproved Kohli's act, calling it ‘unnecessary’.

“There is a line and you don't want to overstep that line,” Shastri said on-air. Alongside Shastri was former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, blamed Kohli for instigating the Konstas. "Virat walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind whatsoever.

“I have no doubt that the umpires and the referee will have a good look at that. Fielders should be nowhere near the batsman at that stage. Every fieldsman on the ground knows where the batsmen will congregate and get together,” Ponting continued.

"It looked to me that Konstas looked up really late, and wouldn't even know anyone was in front of him. That man on-screen there (Kohli) might have a few questions to answer," he added.

Had Kohli was handed three-four demerit points, the former India captain would have missed the fifth and final Test match against Australia in Sydney. Konstas later played down the incident after the end of the play, saying “Virat Kohli accidentally bumped into me, that's cricket and can happen with tension.”