Virat Kohli reprimanded for inappropriate shoulder contact with South African player

Bengaluru: India captain Virat Kohli has received an official warning and one demerit point for violating ICC Code of Conduct when he made an inappropriate shoulder contact with pacer Beuran Hendricks during the third T20 International against South Africa here.

Kohli was found guilty of a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct in the match which South Africa won by nine wickets on Sunday.

The incident occurred in the fifth over of India’s innings, when Kohli made contact with bowler Beuran Hendricks while taking a run.

“Kohli was found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to ‘Inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator) during an International Match’,” the ICC said in a statement.

In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to the disciplinary record of Kohli, for whom it was the third offence since the introduction of the revised Code in September 2016.

Kohli now has three demerit points after having got one demerit point each during the Pretoria Test against South Africa on January 15, 2018, and against Afghanistan in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 on June 22.

“Kohli admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, and as such, there was no need for a formal hearing,” the ICC said.

On-field umpires Nitin Menon and C K Nandan, third umpire Anil Chaudhary and fourth official Chettihody Shamshuddin levelled the charge.

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

When a player reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points and a player is banned.

Two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first for the player.

Demerit points will remain on a player or player support personnel’s disciplinary record for a period of 24 months from their imposition, following which they will be expunged.