Virat Kohli Fined for Shoulder Bump in Fourth Test Against Australia

Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has been fined 20 percent of his match fee after an altercation with Australian debutant Sam Konstas during the fourth Test on Thursday. The incident occurred when Kohli made forceful contact with the 19-year-old batsman after Konstas played an aggressive knock of 60 off 65 balls at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The confrontation led to a heated exchange between the two players, which was interrupted by Usman Khawaja and umpire Michael Gough. The International Cricket Council (ICC) later confirmed that Kohli breached Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct by engaging in inappropriate physical contact.

Kohli accepted the sanction, which also included one demerit point, without a formal hearing. However, the incident was met with criticism from former cricketers, with Ricky Ponting, Ravi Shastri, and Michael Vaughan all condemning Kohli’s actions as unnecessary for a senior player.

Konstas, who was playing in his first Test, downplayed the incident, saying, "I think he accidentally bumped me. But that's just cricket, the tension.