Virat Kohli was fined by ICC for shouldering Sam Konstas on day one of the ongoing 4th BGT 2024 Test in Melbourne. The incident happened when Konstas and Mohammed Siraj had gotten into a war of words early on day 1.
Then during the changeover, Virat Kohli was seen shoulder barging into Sam Konstas, who was left stunned at the reaction of the veteran.
As a result, several Australian cricketers called for the blood of Virat Kohli and many stated that Kohli should be banned by ICC for one match for his actions. In the end, ICC fined Virat Kohli 20% of his match fees, and one demerit point was added to his record.
However, some Australian media outlets criticized the governing board, saying it was too forgiving of Virat Kohli. Ricky Ponting and Mark Waugh, two former cricket players, criticized the authorities for not punishing Kohli more severely for the Boxing Day incident.
However, former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar reiterated his stance on Virat Kohli and said there were no favors done to the superstar cricketer in terms of the fine.
"Yes, you would say that the punishment may be light, considering the experience that he has had. But, that’s the maximum punishment that is decided by the ICC, He has not been done anyfavorr. If, for example, the fine was 10 percent, then you could have said ‘ah, he has been done a favor’. But, the fine for a Level 1 offence is maximum a 20 percent,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.
“I am not 100 percent on that, but I am given to understand that there is one demerit point and a fine. That’s the maximum allowed, that’s what has been levied on him. No special favors have been done to him. You can’t hang a man for picking someone’s picket. That’s what the Australian media is asking for. The Australian media think they got away because he is Kohli. But, that is not the thing," he added.
Gavaskar drew attention to the fact that Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah and Ireland fast bowler Josh Little were both fined similarly for purposefully making physical contact with opposition players during the previous 12 months.
"I know in this particular year, there have been four such incidents in which there have been fines. Last December, Ireland bowler Josh Little was fined 15 percent for physical contact with a batter, a Level 1 offence. In that game, Andy Pycrot was the match referee. Jasprit Bumrah was also reprimanded for Level 1 physical contact for physical contact with England’s Ollie Pope," Gavaskar said.
On the other hand, Irfan Pathan slammed the Australian media for trying to villainize Virat Kohli. Pathan suggested that these actions were attempts to leverage Kohli’s immense popularity to reignite interest in cricket within Australia.
"First of all, the newspapers and even some ex-cricketers here are showing heights of double standards. One moment you are hailing a man as king, and the very next moment, when he shows some aggression on the field, you are going to call him a joker? We have never supported what he (Kohli) has done, but the referee is going to do his job, and the necessary action will be taken. But calling him a joker after all of that. You are just using him and trying to make cricket famous in the country again. But how are you doing that? You are using Virat Kohli's market value, and we will absolutely not accept that," Irfan Pathan said on Star Sports.
Pathan blasted the media for taking advantage of Kohli's notoriety and the incident's controversy. Additionally, he criticized Australian media outlets for disparaging the Indian celebrity, who has served as a global representative of the sport. On the field, the probing continued.
