Indian stalwart Virat Kohli grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG as he appeared to deliberately bump into the Australian debutant Sam Konstas.
During the break between the 10th and 11th overs of Australia’s first innings, Konstas and Usman Khawaja were changing ends when Kohli walked towards the young opener and gave him a shoulder push mid-pitch.
The 19-year-old Konstas did not back down and turned to confront Kohli as the duo exchanged some heated words, prompting other players and umpires to intervene.
This incident has created a lot of buzz in the cricketing circles, with reports claiming that Kohli might be reprimanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for his act.
"It is now up to the match referee and umpires to review the footage and assess the situation. They may call the players involved for explanations," a senior source within the ICC quoted as saying by India Today.
"If the explanation provided by Kohli does not satisfy the officials, he could face punishment in the form of demerit points," the source added.
Demerit points are part of the ICC's disciplinary action, which can lead to fines or even ban if a player accumulates too many points within a specified period. "Let's see what stand the referee takes," the ICC source concluded.
As per the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, the incident falls under Law 2.12 which deals with “Inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator) during an International Match."
According to the law, “Any form of inappropriate physical contact is prohibited in cricket. Without limitation, Players will breach this regulation if they deliberately, recklessly and/or negligently walk or run into or shoulder another Player or Umpire. When assessing the seriousness of the breach, the following factors (without limitation) shall be taken into account: (i) the context of the particular situation, including, without limitation, whether the contact was deliberate (i.e. intentional), reckless, negligent, and/or avoidable; (ii) the force of the contact; (iii) any resulting injury to the person with whom contact was made; and (iv) the person with whom contact was made."
If it’s considered a Level 2 offence, the player guilty of initiating the physical confrontation will receive three or four demerit points. Should either of the two players be slapped with four demerit points, it could result in suspension for the next Test in Sydney. However, a Level 1 offence will only result in financial penalty.
