Pictures of Virat Kohli-Sam Konstas and Tanzim Hasan-Mohammad Nawaz face-offs.© X (formerly Twitter)
Less than a month ago, star India player Virat Kohli featured in headlines for a wrong reason. The cricket veteran got involved in a shoulder-barge with Australia teenager Sam Konstas during India’s fourth Test in Melbourne in December 2024. Kohli was fined 20 per cent of his match fee by the International Cricket Council for the act. A similar incident took place during the Bangladesh Premier League 2024-25 on Sunday. It was Bangladesh pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who did a Kohli by barging shoulders with Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz.
Playing for Sylhet Strikers in the 17th match of BPL at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Tanzim dismissed Khulna Tigers’ Nawaz on the first ball of the 17th over. The pacer outfoxed the Pakistan southpaw with a slower delivery outside off stump. Nawaz ended up mistiming the ball to the fielder at short third man.
What followed was an animated celebration from the Bangladesh pacer. He walked towards Nawaz with some expletives before getting involved in a shoulder-barge. The umpires and players of both the sides quickly intervened to end the matter.
Watch it here:
Mohammad Nawaz and Tanzim Hasan Sakib had to be separated following the former’s dismissal! #BPLonFanCode pic.twitter.com/Y3l4XDkcfB
— FanCode (@FanCode) January 12, 2025
Talking about the Melbourne Test incident, Kohli and Konstas bumped shoulders while moving across the pitch. Both players quickly turned around to glance at each other and engage in a heated exchange of words with Konstas’ teammate Usman Khawaja stepping in to separate them. The on-field umpires also had a word with the two.
After the incident, many former players predicted that Kohli may face suspension but that didn’t happen as he was charged with a Level 1 offence. Level 2 offences carry a penalty of three to four demerit points. Four demerit points would lead to a suspension of one Test.
“No formal hearing was needed as Kohli accepted the sanctions propsed by Match Referee Andy Pycroft. On-field umpires Joel Wilson and Michael Gough, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Shawn Craig levelled the charge,” the ICC said in a release.
(With PTI Inputs)
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