In the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, debutant Sam Constas found himself at the center of controversy when Virat Kohli deliberately pushed him, drawing criticism from commentators during the match. The incident also sparked widespread backlash on social media. Following this behavior, Kohli’s punishment seemed inevitable, and the ICC acted swiftly.
For intentionally pushing Constas, the ICC fined Kohli 20% of his match fee and added 1 demerit point to his record. This demerit point will remain effective for 24 months, during which accumulating four demerit points would lead to a one-match ban.
Kohli was found in breach of Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct (COC), which prohibits any form of physical contact deemed inappropriate in cricket. The article specifies that any deliberate, reckless, or negligent action, such as running towards or pushing an opponent or umpire, constitutes a violation of the code.
As a result, Kohli faced a monetary penalty. Being in India’s A+ contract category, Kohli earns INR 1.5 million per Test match. With the 20% fine, Kohli will forfeit INR 300,000, reducing his earnings from the Boxing Day Test to INR 1.2 million.
