Kohli Faces Financial Penalty for On-Field Confrontation with Konstas at MCG
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Melbourne, Dec 26 (NationPress) Star Indian batter Virat Kohli is anticipated to receive a fine of 20 per cent of his match fee along with one demerit point for his shoulder clash with debutant Australian batter Sam Konstas on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
According to reports from Cricbuzz and SEN Radio, Kohli has been subjected to these penalties for intentionally making physical contact with Konstas, as assessed by match referee Andy Pycroft.
Although an official announcement from the International Cricket Council (ICC) is still awaited, Kohli is likely to be charged under Article 2.12 of the Code of Conduct, which states, "Any form of inappropriate physical contact is prohibited in cricket. Players will violate this rule if they intentionally, recklessly, and/or negligently make contact with another player or umpire."
In evaluating the severity of the incident, several factors will be considered, including: (i) the circumstances of the situation, particularly whether the contact was intentional, reckless, negligent, and/or avoidable; (ii) the force of the impact; (iii) any resultant injury to the player involved; and (iv) the identity of the player involved.
The incident occurred after the 10th over when Kohli, with the ball in hand, altered his path, leading to a shoulder collision with Konstas. The latter did not appreciate the contact and exchanged words with Kohli. Konstas' opening partner Usman Khawaja and on-field umpire Michael Gough quickly intervened to diffuse the situation.
The shoulder clash between Kohli and Konstas left former Australian captain Ricky Ponting dissatisfied. "Virat walked an entire pitch to his right and initiated that confrontation. I have no doubt about that. I trust the umpires and the referee will scrutinize that closely," he stated.
"Fielders should maintain distance from the batsmen in such situations. Every fielder on the field knows where the batsmen will gather. It appeared that Konstas looked up too late and was unaware of anyone in front of him. Kohli may have some questions to answer," he added while speaking on Channel Seven.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri expressed his disapproval of Kohli's actions towards Konstas on Fox Sports, labeling it as completely unnecessary. "This is not something you want to witness. Kohli, as a senior player and former captain, may have his explanations, but such incidents should be avoided."
