Indian batter Virat Kohli and Australia’s 19-year-old debutant Sam Konstas were involved in a mid-pitch altercation during the fourth Border-Gavaskar Trophy clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The incident occurred in the first session, shortly after the 10th over, when the two players bumped shoulders while moving across the pitch between overs.
The clash quickly escalated into a heated verbal exchange, prompting intervention from Australian opener Usman Khawaja and umpire Michael Gough, who stepped in to de-escalate the situation.
Replays from the session showed that Konstas, while walking towards the other end, turned around after the last ball of the over.
The former Indian captain, seemingly tossing the ball in his hand, moved from well outside the pitch and crossed paths with the young debutant, leading to the physical contact.
Konstas addressed the incident later during the second session.
"I think the emotions got to both of us. I didn’t quite realize it at first, I was fixing my gloves. Then there was a little shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket," said Sam.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, while on commentary, shared his thoughts on the altercation.
"Have a look at where Virat walks. He’s gone one whole pitch over to his right and clearly instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind," said Ponting.
ICC officials are expected to review the incident involving Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas, in which Kohli bumped into the batter with his shoulder.
Former ICC Elite Panel umpire Simon Taufel analyzed the replays and suggested that Kohli’s actions could fall under the ICC’s Code of Conduct.
"This long shot that's been provided by the director is really interesting because it shows Virat Kohli actually changing his line to get into the personal space of Sam Konstas. Now, there's a clause within the ICC Code of Conduct that talks about inappropriate physical contact and that's the clause that the umpires and the referee will be looking at, at close of play today to see whether or not Virat's actions fall into that category and my suggestion would be that they'll probably - looking at that seriously - more than likely do something about that now."
The 19-year-old made an unforgettable Test debut by scoring a brisk 60 off 65 balls, including six boundaries and two sixes.
Despite a rocky start, he confidently took on India’s ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, reverse-scooping him for six and driving with flair against Mohammed Siraj.
This altercation adds another chapter to the fiery history of India-Australia Tests—a rivalry known for its intensity and on-field controversies.
Kohli faced similar incidents before, notably during an infamous exchange with Tim Paine in 2018 and a memorable battle with Mitchell Johnson while scoring a brilliant century in Adelaide in 2014.
- Virat Kohli