India’s Virat Kohli was fined 20 percent of his match fee and given one demerit point by the ICC on Thursday for his on-field altercation with Australia opener Sam Konstas on the opening day of the fourth Test.
The incident took place when Kohli and 19-year-old Konstas bumped shoulders and exchanged words in the 10th over of the first session of the match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Section 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct applies to: “Inappropriate physical contact with a player, player’s assistant, umpire, referee or any other person (including a spectator at an international match),” the ICC said on its website.
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,” it added.
Australian opener Usman Khawaja and on-field umpires Gough and Wilson intervened before the two players exchanged a few words as they walked onto the field after the over.
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.”
