Sat Dec 28 06:10:00 UTC 2024: ## Kohli Fined for Shoulder Barge in “Spicy” Altercation with Debutant
**Melbourne, Australia** – Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has been fined 20% of his match fee after a physical altercation with Australian debutant Sam Konstas during the fourth Test match in Melbourne. The incident, described as “spicy” by commentators, occurred at the end of the 10th over when Kohli appeared to deliberately change course to make shoulder-to-shoulder contact with Konstas as the young batsman walked towards his partner.
Words were exchanged between the two players before umpires and Konstas’ batting partner, Usman Khawaja, intervened to de-escalate the situation. Match referee Andy Pycroft ruled that Kohli had breached ICC guidelines regarding inappropriate physical contact. In addition to the fine, Kohli received one demerit point but will be eligible to play in the final Test. The ICC stated that Kohli accepted the penalty, avoiding a formal hearing.
Despite the controversy, Konstas went on to score a respectable 60 runs in his debut Test match, contributing to Australia’s strong finish of 311-6 at the close of play.
First Piper 