During India’s BGT Boxing Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), former captain Virat Kohli was embroiled in a major controversy following an on-field shoulder-barge incident with Australia’s rookie, Sam Konstas. The two players were crossing paths on the pitch when they had the small incident, where Kohli seemingly pushed himself in Konstas’ way. Following this, Kohli faced the wrath of several Australian media houses, journalists, and pundits.
Former Aussie apologises to Virat Kohli
Former Australian cricketer and commentator Kerry O’Keeffe fuelled the controversy by labelling Kohli as “arrogant.” O’Keeffe remarked on air that Kohli had built his career on arrogance and appeared to resent seeing a similar trait in a young opponent. “Kohli has built his whole career on arrogance. Suddenly, he identified that in a debutant and seemed to resent it,” O’Keeffe said on Thursday after the incident.
Acknowledging his mistake, O’Keeffe issued a public apology during live commentary the following day. “I want to apologize for calling Virat Kohli’s behavior arrogance. I shouldn’t have said that. He has got a swagger and plays his cricket like that. I think when he saw another player showing swagger like him, he got a bit annoyed and reacted in that fashion. Kohli is a passionate cricketer and his aggression is what makes him a competitive cricketer,” said O’Keeffe.
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Kohli vs Konstas: What happened?
The incident occurred after the 10th over of the morning session when Kohli and Konstas were involved in a physical bump near the pitch. Konstas, who had turned from the crease and was heading towards the other end, crossed paths with Kohli, who appeared to veer off course and walk directly towards him while tossing the ball in his hand. The two collided, exchanging heated words immediately after. The situation escalated until Australian opener Usman Khawaja and on-field umpire Michael Gough stepped in to calm things down. Following the day, Kohli received a demerit point and got fined 20% of his match fee.
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