Virat Kohli will miss the Sydney Test against Australia following a shoulder collision with Sam Konstas at the MCG. What does the ICC ruling state?

Virat Kohli could find himself in hot water after his intentional shoulder bump with Australian debutant Sam Konstas made headlines on the opening day of the fourth Test in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday.

The incident occurred during the break between the 10th and 11th overs of the Australian innings, following the hosts’ decision to bat first after winning the toss. As Sam Konstas and his opening partner Usman Khawaja were changing ends, Kohli bumped shoulders with the 19-year-old while walking past him. Konstas responded verbally, and Khawaja had to step in to separate the two.

Replays indicated that Kohli was fully aware of his actions and intentionally bumped into Konstas, seemingly to play psychological games. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting also commented on Kohli’s deliberate shoulder bump during the broadcast.

According to the ICC rulebook, “making inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with another player” is classified as a Level 2 offence under Chapter 42.1 of the MCC laws, which addresses Unacceptable Conduct. If the on-field umpires determine that Kohli’s action was intentional, they are required to report it to the match referee. After a thorough review, the match referee will make the final decision. If both the umpires and the match referee agree that Kohli’s contact was deliberate, the former India captain could face serious sanctions from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Ravindra Jadeja eventually dismissed Sam Konstas after the Australian debutant scored a brisk half-century. Konstas made 60 off 65 balls, including six fours and two sixes, with his runs coming off Jasprit Bumrah. He scored 16 runs off Bumrah’s fourth over, hitting two fours and a six. This marked the first six Bumrah had conceded in Test cricket in nearly four years.

Will Virat Kohli miss the Sydney Test?

Level 2 offences result in a penalty of three to four demerit points, with the following corresponding sanctions:

•A fine of 50% to 100% of the match fee or one suspension point for three demerit points.

•Two suspension points for four demerit points.

If Kohli receives four demerit points, he could be suspended for one Test or two limited-overs matches (ODIs or T20Is). This means Kohli could miss the fifth and final Test against Australia in Sydney, starting on January 3. However, the Indian team management can appeal any imposed sanction. The demerit points remain on a player’s record for two years, and Kohli has not received any since 2019.